Falling For You
by xTobi-Kunx
Summary: Deidara begins to do strange things, like feel bad for hurting Tobi. One thing leads to another. TobixDei yaoi.
1. Realizing the Truth

This is my first fanfic, so I hope you enjoy it!

I don't own Naruto or any of the characters, just the pitiful predicaments I've put them in. -sad emo face-

Eventual M-rating for swearing and yaoi/shonen-ai.

--

"Shut _up_, you idiot! I'm gonna kill you if you don't, un." It was only 9 in the morning and I was already having to make death threats to Tobi. His swirly orange mask loomed over me like a bad dream.

"But sempai, Leader gave us a mission." His voice was unusual today, almost like a grown man's. Normally, it was high-pitched and childlike. I sat up and pushed him away from my bed. He made no move to block or dodge it, which was also unusual.

"Alright, okay. I'm up, un." I got up out of bed, shoved Tobi out of the way and grabbed my hairbrush. I could feel him watching me. "What do you want, un?" I stared at the black hole in his mask and felt like I was looking deep into nothing.

"I'm just waiting. I'm all ready to go," he sighed, gesturing to himself. He was dressed, as always, and wearing his Akatsuki cloak. The only skin on him that I'd seen so far was his toes.

"Could you not stare at me like that, dumbass?! The least you could do is take off that stupid mask and look at me with an actual face." I finished my hair and chucked the brush at him, which just hit him in the shoulder. I imagined him wincing in pain and a smile tugged at the corner of my mouth.

"Sorry, Deidara-sempai. Zetsu-san told me not to take it off for anyone." I imagined myself punching him in the face and breaking his nose as I pulled on my Akatsuki cloak, then I let the smile have my face. "Sempai, what's so funny?" I started laughing, picturing him ripped to pieces from one of my explosions.

"Killing you, un."

**--**

I watched Deidara leave the room before I got up and trudged after him for fear that he'd start yelling at me again, or strangling me. He seemed to like my pain while I seemed to fall even deeper in love with him. His lovely golden hair, his flawless body, even his beautiful explosions captivated me.

"Hurry up, baka!" He punched me in the arm and I did nothing to avoid it.

"I'm hurrying, Deidara-sempai." My throat was sore from screaming into my pillow outside the door to the room I shared with Deidara. I cried to Kisame about him, even spilling a little to Hidan. They both sympathized with me and encouraged me. They knew that Deidara was gay from his relationship with his former partner, Sasori. I climbed on one of the clay birds outside the hideout, watching Deidara as he climbed on his own. He gave me a pitiful glance to see if I was on the bird before making it flap its wings and rise into the air.

"Why are you so quiet? You're supposed to be talking, un." I was surprised that he even looked at me. His eyes studied me like a book, criticizing everything about me. I hated it.

"I don't know, I just felt like being quiet today." He looked at me as though I'd just confessed to sleeping in girl's underwear.

"Whatever, un. Just keep your mind on helping me blow up the Sound Village." He looked away, facing in the direction that his bird was flying. I just sort of stared, not sure of what he said.

"Sempai's going to let Tobi _help_?" He glanced back at me and nodded.

**--**

By the time we arrived at the Sound Village, it was late and Tobi was extremely hyper. If I didn't think Zetsu would eat me, I'd kill Tobi just for the fun of it. Imagining the village aflame kept me from killing my hyperactive partner while he babbled on about how he was finally getting to help.

"It seems like everyone is sleeping, Deidara-sempai! This will be easy!" I scowled at him in the darkness.

"If you keep making so much noise, it won't be. Try to shush up, un!"

"Yes, sempai," he sighed, noticeably quieter than before I'd asked him. I squinted down at the barely-lit streets of the Sound and sighed. This was going to be totally easy. "Do you think Orochi-" Tobi began to speak, but I cupped my hand over his mouth as I moved my bird closer to his.

"Shh! It's too quiet, un. I bet Orochimaru _does _know we're going to attack," I whispered. He nodded and exhaled slowly. I let go of him, just in time to hear the sound of a tiny bell ringing. Quickly, I dug my hands into my clay pouches and made a few small birds with C-3 in them. I wanted to be sure I got the job done the first time instead of using C-1 and just giving them a warning. Four clay birds flew away from me and swooped down on the Sound. I did the seals that I memorized ages ago and yelled "Katsu!" All at the same time, the birds exploded and I watched my art in action. In less than a minute, the entire village was on fire.

"I thought you were going to let Tobi help." He pouted, his mask illuminated by the destruction below. I just grinned.

"You did help. You were quiet long enough that I could release my explosives without a distraction for once, un." I imagined him having some kind of goofy grin on his face. "Tobi, un. Did Zetsu say that you couldn't show anyone your face, even if you wanted to?"

"Well... no, he didn't say that." I smiled and dug my hands into my clay pouches again. Tobi shrank back, holding his arms in front of his face. He hadn't noticed the brats who were attempting to attack us with shuriken from below.

"It's not for you, idiot. It's for _them_." I gestured down at a few Sound nins who managed to escape the explosions. He relaxed and I sent down a bird to distract them while my C-2 spiders surrounded them. By the time they realized they were caught, it was too late. "Katsu!" I zoomed in on them with my scope, watching them explode. Their guts littered the ground and a sadistic grin appeared on my face.

"Tobi thinks that sempai might be a little too obsessed with killing children." I glanced over at him and he held his arms in front of himself again.

"They weren't just children, Tobi. They're brainwashed little monsters who've been listening to Orochimaru all their lives, un." I sighed and turned our birds around, directing us back to the Akatsuki lair. Tobi took a deep breath - or was it a yawn? - and leaned face-down on the bird.

"I'm tired, sempai." I looked over at him, raising an eyebrow.

**--**

"You can't sleep now, un. _I_need sleep." Deidara's eyelids looked heavy.

"I can fly your clay birds, but only one." His face was etched with an incredulous expression.

"Have you been looking at my scrolls? I'll kill your for that, un!" His bird swooped closer in his efforts to reach over and hit me, but I ducked and he missed.

"No, sempai, I watched your hands. You just power the bird with your chakra, right?" He stopped trying to attack me and nodded slowly.

"But... my hand gestures are fast and my chakra is different from yours, un. You couldn't possibly have copied it unless you have the Sharingan." He spat out the name of the bloodline limit like a disease... a bloodline limit that I possessed. I shrank down, attempting to hide myself with the bird.

"I... I do have the Sharingan." I covered my head with my hands, expecting Deidara to hit me or throw explosives. After about 30 seconds of nothing, I looked up. He just sat there on his bird as it flapped its wings, staring at me.

"You, have the Sharingan? You mean to tell me that you're an Uchiha?" Disbelief was clear on his face, but I nodded solemnly.

"Yes," I whispered. He just stared at me for a few more seconds. Then he burst out laughing, clutching his stomach.

"You can't possibly be an Uchiha, Zetsu-san would have told me, un!" I channeled chakra into my bird and began controlling it on my own. He looked repulsed. When he started flying away from me, I followed him.

"What's wrong, sempai? Are you angry at me for copying your jutsu?" I suspected he was angry, but why? He turned to stare back at me with more hate than I'd ever seen his eyes... it was the same hatred he showed Itachi.

"You should know! You're just like Itachi, probably trying to use your Sharingan on me right now, un!" I looked down and shook my head.

"When did Itachi use the Sharingan on you?" I moved my mask slightly to the side so that I could see without having to look through the tiny eye-hole. It was too dark for anyone to see my face, anyways.

"He used it to force me into this stupid organization. I'm surprised no ones told you about it... you genjutsu users would get a laugh, yeah?" I shook my head, disgusted with Itachi's misuse of such a gift.

"I didn't know. Itachi doesn't know I'm an Uchiha... you and Zetsu-san are the only ones who know now." Deidara's bird began to fly closer to mine, but still left an uncomfortable distance in between.

**--**

I looked down where Tobi would be, his clay bird barely visible in the dark. I could see his outline on the bird, but faintly. I had the urge to punch him over and over again.

"Tobi, show me your face, un." I moved my bird closer, leaving enough room between us for the birds' wings to flap without interference. I had to see his face, had to know why he always hid himself from the world.

"I can't... it's too dark to see, anyways. I promise I'll show you some other time, sempai." I knew it was just to stall, so I stood up on my bird, anchoring my feet to it with chakra.

"I know you know how to make fire, so you can light up your face long enough to show me." I reached down and touched the bird's back, compacting it until it was small enough to hold, but too small to hold my weight. I jumped on Tobi's bird and fused my clay with his bird. It made his bird big enough for both of us.

"But we're outside, Deidara-sempai. Someone might see." I huffed and started to feel tired. Since I didn't have to fly the bird, I was beginning to get drowsy. I leaned against Tobi and sighed.

"You owe me the privilege of seeing your face, yeah. You stole my jutsus with your stupid eyes." I felt him nod. I realized that now I was close enough to just steal his mask from him and he'd have no choice but to show me his face. Slowly, I reached up.

"No, sempai. Just go to sleep and I'll tell you when we get there." I looked down as his hand shoved my arm back to me.

"But, how did you know, un?" His outline shifted and I saw the faint swirl of his mask, but it was crooked. Was his mask halfway off?

"I can feel your chakra, sempai." Duh, I thought to myself. That was something an Academy student could do, yet I underestimated him as usual.

**--**

"Why don't you dodge it when I hit you if your dumb eye can see everything?" I shrugged. The light of dawn began to reach across the sky in a cluster of pink-orange streaks.

"I've been able to suppress the urge to use it against people unless totally necessary. I don't want to hurt my sempai." He snickered and I turned to look at him from my left, even though there was no hole in my mask on that side to look though.

"How do you see through that thing, anyways, un?" I sighed and looked away long enough to cover my face properly again, seeing as there was more light out than earlier. I didn't want to risk _anyone_ seeing my face.

"I've been wearing it since I was thirteen, Deidara-sempai." He moved around so that he was in front of me, pushing me back a little. He faced me and reached for my mask. I grabbed both his wrists with just one hand, keeping the other on the bird. "No, not until we're well hidden." He struggled to remove his wrists, but my arms were stronger.

"Let go of me or I'll blow you up, un." I chuckled.

"With what, sempai? You need your hands to blow me up, don't you?" He glared at me. For a moment, I thought he was reaching for my mask, but his hands went under my chin. I let go of his wrists. "Wha?" I was interrupted as he pulled my mask up slightly and kissed me. I stopped breathing as his soft lips connected with mine. My heart fluttered madly. His tongue explored my mouth as I willed mine to probe his and, for a moment, all my thoughts ceased. His fingers intertwined with my hair and held me close, almost like he thought I'd pull away. He broke the kiss when the bird's wings began to falter.

"D-don't forget to f-fly, un!" He blushed a deep shade of pink and sent his chakra into the bird. I let go, not sure of what I was doing before the kiss. When the bird's flying became normal again, he turned his attention back to me. "Tobi, un?" He pulled my mask back down to its rightful position on my face and I remembered to inhale.

"Deidara kissed Tobi." It sounded elementary, but it was all I managed to say. He tilted his head, giving me a look of sheer concern.

"Are you okay, un?" Keeping one hand anchored to the bird, he stroked my dark, spiky locks. I returned to some kind of normal consciousness shortly after.

"Why did you...?" I couldn't finish my sentence. The word "kiss" lacked a certain value that I just couldn't place. He looked down, his features shadowed with concentration.

"I couldn't see you. A blind person has to feel things in order to really see them, un."

**--**

He nodded as a coherent understanding for my explanation of why I'd just kissed him. Why _did_ I kiss him? Did I love him? I couldn't possibly... my Danna was the only one I could love. Then again, Danna was gone and Tobi was here, taking care of me in Danna's place.

"Deidara-sempai?" His shaky voice drew me out of my reverie.

"Yes, Tobi, un?" He moved closer, wrapping me in his arms. I couldn't help but think of how he was taller and more masculine... well, in a Tobi sense, anyways. With him being taller and such, shouldn't _he_ be in control? I was always ordering him around, strangling him... hurting him. I hurt him, yet he happily did whatever I demanded him to do. Did he love me and care for me in the same way as Danna did?

"I... I'm sorry." His body became slightly limp, his arms draped over my shoulders. He was still breathing, so I didn't panic, but how could he sleep at a time like this? It must've been nearly 10:00 in the morning. The sun shone brightly upon us and the bird.

"Tobi, un. You can't sleep now, we're almost there." I attempted to shake him awake, but he just snored lightly. Had powering the bird taken that much out of him? I considered it a possibility and recognized the entrance to the hideout in the distance. I guided the bird to the ground, where it dried up and crumbled to pieces. I sighed in annoyance and kicked Tobi in the ribs. "Come _on_, idiot, un." He woke up and clutched his ribs, mumbling things that sounded like "damn it" and "fuck." His pain subsided and he got up off the ground.

"Sorry, sempai, I didn't mean to fall asleep." My feelings of annoyance were replaced by remorse for kicking him so hard.

"I'm sorry, Tobi, I shouldn't have kicked you, un. You're a good boy." We began running towards the hideout, anxious for a warm shower and some sleep.

"Deidara-sempai?" I looked to my left in the direction of Tobi's voice. He was oddly blurred around the edges, like a pool of water after someone throws a rock in it. The reflection becomes rippled... blurry. Then I noticed his mask was slightly crooked, revealing a tiny portion of his face.

"Tobi, you're pale, un." He nodded, looking ahead. Before I could do the same, he grabbed me by the arm and slowed down, relieving me of the pain almost caused by running into a tree. The entrance to the Akatsuki lair was right in front of us now, so we deactivated the genjutsu to the entrance and went into the dark cave.

* * *

Please review! Constructive criticism is appreciated, flaming is not.


	2. Tobi's Secret

Thank you to black55widow and Chibi-Roy-Chan for reviewing the first chapter!

Not quite an M rating, but it's getting there.

Also, frequent use of the word "pancake" near the end of the chapter. (I like that word :D)

I don't own Naruto or any of the characters. -pouts-

--

I wasn't sure how Kakuzu had come up with the money to furnish a cave and run electricity through it, but he'd done an especially good job with the showers. The one I shared with Deidara was big enough for both of us, though I preferred to keep my body a secret and he preferred to keep his distance from me. I didn't mind sharing the space with my sempai, except for times like these where _both _our bodies ached from chakra depletion. My sore muscles begged to be soothed under warm water. Unfortunately for me, so did his.

"Tobi, you can wait, un. You take too long, anyways." He grabbed a towel and disappeared into the bathroom. I took off my cloak and flung it into the corner, falling face-first onto my bed. Then I remembered my promise to Deidara that I would show him my face. Would he kill me if I jumped in the shower with him for a few minutes? Yeah, but I didn't care. I got up and found a clean towel, then crept into the bathroom after successfully picking the lock on the doorknob. The room was filled with a hot steam. I removed my mask and looked at my face in the foggy mirror, seeing what was left of me after all these years. There wasn't much to look at. I looked away and stripped, tossed my clothes into our collection of dirty laundry in the corner, then snuck into the shower behind sempai. He didn't notice I was there as he rinsed shampoo from his hair. I silently reminded myself that he'd punish me if he caught me checking him out, so I faced the wall and tapped his shoulder.

"Tobi, you-" He turned around and stopped mid-sentence.

"Please don't yell," I whimpered. The look on his face was of shock. He reached up and traced the scar down the right side of my face. Even though it continued all the way down past my hip, he stopped at my chest.

"What happened to you, un?" I looked away, staring at the wall. I didn't exactly know what happened to me, other than what Zetsu-san told me when he first took me in as his apprentice.

**--**

"Not sure." How did he not know what happened? I looked at his left eye, or what was left of it, anyways. There was a white chunk of gauze covering the eye socket with a few strips of medical tape. "It was gone when Zetsu-san found me. I was never able to find an Uchiha eye to replace it."

"Tobi, un, you're so pale that I can see most of your veins." I traded places with him, letting him get under the showerhead to enjoy the warm flow of water. The spiky texture of his hair was reduced to dripping black strands that hung in his face.

"I know, but Zetsu-san says I can't show any of my skin in public." If I hadn't known his hair and voice, I'd think it wasn't really Tobi. I looked down at my own scarred and stitched-together arms. Even though I was self-conscious about them, I could only imagine how _he_ felt with scars all over his body. I couldn't even understand how he could have such a cheerful disposition all the time.

"But why are you all scarred up like that, un?" He frowned, obviously struggling to remember why he looked like this.

"I was crushed by a boulder during a mission, I think. I don't remember anything from before then, but Zetsu-san told me that some of my internal organs had to be replaced." How could he survive being crushed, especially as a kid? I shook my head and sighed.

"I think you look better without the mask." I gave him a halfhearted grin. He just stared at the white tiles beneath our feet.

"Sempai, aren't you supposed to hurt me for sneaking up on you?" My grin disappeared as I looked up at him.

"No, you don't need any more bruises. I'm getting out, so hurry up, un." Was I really so abusive that he expected me to hit him all the time?

"Okay..." He sounded slightly disappointed, but it made me nervous to be so close to him and naked at the same time. I stepped out of the shower and wrung the water out of my hair... I was afraid to get close to Tobi. What if he died and left me alone, just like Danna did? I wouldn't be able to take another loss like that. I was already considering myself lucky to be alive... that Konoha brat and that old lady had so easily defeated Sasori. _"Art is everlasting, like myself. Your explosions are _not_ art,"_ he'd say. I grabbed my towel and left the bathroom, pushing Danna out of my mind.

**--**

As soon as Deidara closed the door, I finally relaxed. I was really tense during the time that he studied my torso. He probably noticed every stitch and every scratch. Zetsu-san usually did the same thing every time he'd peek through the wall when I was showering. _"Tobi's got a new scar," _he'd say, while his bad side contemplated how I might taste. I'd have to explain to him that I unintentionally pissed Hidan off or I'd accidentally walked in on Itachi when he wanted to be alone.

"I'll just ask Zetsu-san to not mention my scars anymore, he won't mind... hopefully his mean side doesn't try to eat me." I continued talking to myself, trying to boost my ego for the few short minutes I spent in the shower by myself. When I was finished scrubbing myself clean, I turned off the water and toweled myself dry. I neglected to bring a clean outfit in the bathroom with me and mentally kicked myself. Now I'd have to go into the bedroom and risk being seen. I frowned and peeked out the bathroom door. Deidara was dressed and, luckily for me, he hadn't gone to sleep just yet.

"Sempai?" He looked up at me from where he was refilling his clay pouches on the floor.

"Need something, un?" I nodded sheepishly and he stood up, setting his pouches aside. His face was a bit flushed and he looked a little paler than usual. Was he thinking about Sasori again?

"Clothes, please," I replied quickly. He began collecting my clothes for me.

"Why don't you just wear a pair of shorts and a shirt to bed, un?"

"I don't want anyone else to see my scars, sempai." I stared down at the floor, pretending to be interested in a small crack in the tiles.

**--**

Understanding why he didn't want people to see his scars was easy, but I didn't understand on why he insisted on hiding himself from everyone in the world, including his partner and his friends.

"You're an idiot, un." He looked up at me, then sighed and looked away. "Why don't you let anyone see you? Kisame won't make fun of you, he's got blue skin, un." It made him smile a little bit.

"I know, but you just can't tell anyone you've seen my body. It's our secret, okay?" Why was he so determined to keep himself a secret? I handed him a pile of clothes, nodding in agreement.

"Thank you, Deidara-sempai." He disappeared behind the door and closed it, leaving me to stand there and wonder why we were both acting so strangely. I went back to storing my clay in the plastic bin on my side of the room, then I flopped onto my bed. I was staring at the ceiling until the bathroom door opened again and Tobi walked out. Why did I think he looked different? Unless I cared about him, I wouldn't ask myself these silly questions. I didn't _care_ about him, he's just my partner in this stupid organization. I had to look out for him, right? Eventually, my curiosity got the best of me and I sat up.

"Tobi, un." He glanced over at me and I realized his mask wasn't on. How could I _not_ have noticed that? It hung around his neck, resting on his back.

"Yes, sempai?" He yawned and laid back on his pillow.

"Your mask isn't on your face, un." I got up and paced around in a small circle, but ended up sitting on the edge of his bed. His lone eye stared at me, probably confused about why I got up just to sit by him.

**--**

"I know it's not on my face." I wondered why he was concerned, but decided I was too tired to ask.

"I thought you didn't want anyone to see you, un." He smiled at me with his bright blue eyes and my heart did one of those leap-jump things. I caught him staring at the scar on my right hand, so I hid my hand under my blanket.

"You said I look better without it... besides, you've already seen my face." I closed my eye, but Deidara didn't move. He just sighed heavily.

"I wasn't lying. That mask makes you look even more like an idiot than you really are, un." The weight on the bed shifted and I peeked through my half closed eyelid. He had gotten up and went back to his own bed, wiggling underneath his blankets.

"Thank you, sempai." I closed my eye again and pulled my blanket over my face. As I drifted off to sleep, a faint memory flashed through my mind. It was like the scene Zetsu-san described when he said he found me half dead, trapped under that huge boulder. A weirdly familiar boy and girl were there... probably my partners for my last mission as a ninja of Konoha. The boy reminded me of Kakashi, that sensei to the Kyuubi kid. I told him I wanted him to have my Sharingan, but my right eye was too close to being crushed with the rest of my body. The girl said she could only remove my left eye and the boy said, _"Thank you, Obito." _I told him to hurry and get Rin to safety. Why did I know that name? They escaped the rock slide and right before I blacked out, Zetsu's double-face hovered over me. _**"He's dying, let's eat him."**_ _"No, let's keep him... he looks like an Uchiha."_

**--**

A whimper of pain followed by an antagonizing scream woke me up. I sat up instantly, my gaze landing on Tobi. He was jerking his head back and forth, mumbling incoherent sentences. One thing in particular caught my attention though; A pleading cry begging to be left alone because he _wanted_ to die. I got up and crept over to his bed. I gently touched the side of his face and he slowly relaxed. I was about to wake him up when he started to talk again, this time repeating my name.

"Please, no... Deidara... no, sempai, don't hurt me... I'm sorry..." In the dim light, his face glistened with his tears. I started to shake his shoulder gently.

"Tobi, wake up. It's okay, un." He turned his head to the side. I pushed his hair away from his forehead where it stuck from a cold sweat. I couldn't see why I felt bad for him, he was just having a nightmare. Then I remembered the first night I spent with Tobi... the night Danna died. As much as I pushed him away, Tobi tried to comfort me when I hid under my blanket, sobbing. I'd thrown explosives, strangled him and did everything I could do to hurt him, yet he stayed there next to me for the entire night, offering me tissues.

"Tobi, un." He still wasn't waking up, so I pulled him into a sitting position. His eye opened slowly, trying to focus.

"Sempai?" he whispered. I nodded and he rubbed the sleep from his eye.

"Were you having a bad dream, un?" He curled underneath his blanket, shaking and shivering.

"Y-yeah. I h-had a dream about m-my past... something that h-happened when I w-was thirteen." He looked like he was freezing, so I crawled under the blanket with him to keep him warm.

**--**

The shaky feeling subsided when Deidara joined me under my blanket. Was he trying to keep me warm because he knew I'd do it for him?

"It's okay, Tobi. It was just a dream, un." He rubbed my arms and returned some heat to my body, making my shivers go away. I forced myself to calm down.

"But now I know who has my other eye, sempai." He paused for a brief moment to give me an inquisitive glance.

"What do you mean, un?" I sighed and pointed at the white piece of gauze that covered my empty left eye socket.

"Hatake Kakashi, that Jounin guy from Konohagakure. I think that he was my best friend when I was young... when I got stuck under that big rock during a mission, I gave him my Sharingan." Deidara seemed surprised, but his only reaction was a rather large yawn. I glanced over at the clock on the wall, which read 8:36 PM. We'd only been asleep for about 7 hours.

"I'm still tired." He pulled me closer, leaving his arm on my chest.

"You're sleeping on my bed? With me?" I blinked a few times, just to check if my vision was still clear. The image of him nuzzling into my chest didn't fade.

"Yeah, un." He closed his eyes and I closed mine, trying not to get too comfortable with him. He'd probably get up and go back to his own bed in the middle of the night. Maybe he'd even hit me and make something up about how I dragged him to bed with me.

**--**

I woke up in the morning to laughter and someone poking me in the arm. I blinked and there was Hidan, being an arrogant asshole as usual. He had a huge grin on his face. I just yawned and tried to push him away.

"Hey, Itachi! Come in here and look, Deidara's sleeping with Tobi!" I kicked him and looked over at Tobi. His face was covered by the blanket, but I pulled his mask out from under him and secured it on his face, just to be careful. He'd never forgive me if I let them see his face.

"Shut up, Hidan. Tobi was having nightmares and I couldn't get him to stop whining, so I laid down with him and must've fallen asleep." He snickered and raised an eyebrow, pulling the blanket away and tossing it onto my bed.

"Yeah, that's why you look so cozy next to him, right?" I got up and pushed him away from the bed. If he woke Tobi up, I'd be pissed. Zetsu came in and glared at Hidan while Konan stood in the doorway.

"Hidan, Leader-sama orders you to stop instigating with Deidara and Tobi," Konan sighed. We all knew she was very easily annoyed, but Hidan just grinned and crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"What's he gonna do, _kill _me?" He laughed at his own pathetic joke, but Zetsu stepped closer, eyeing him hungrily.

**"No, but we can eat you." **I imagined Hidan being torn to pieces by a carnivorous plant and snorted. _"No, we can't eat him, other members are off-limits. We could have a little piece of him, though." _Hidan shrugged and sauntered out of the room. Konan disappeared in the opposite direction down the hallway, probably to inform Pein-sama that his orders have been heeded.

"Thank you, Zetsu-san. I hope Tobi's still asleep." He nodded curtly and glanced over at the lump under the blanket.

**"I still think he'd taste good, can't we just nibble on him?" **_"No, no, we can't. You're welcome, Deidara-kun."_ He left the room and I closed the door behind him, wondering why his bad side insisted that Tobi probably tasted good.

**--**

I had been awake ever since Hidan came into the room, even though I didn't let Deidara know. I smiled to myself, happy that he covered my face in time... Hidan would've seen me if he hadn't. He looked over at me from where he stood by the door.

"Tobi, are you awake, un?" I sat up and pushed my mask to the side.

"Yes, sempai. Thank you for putting my mask on so no one would see me." His expression on turned to the same terrifying smile he got on his face whenever he blew something up. He clenched his fists and stormed over to my bed.

"I didn't do it for _you_, idiot! I don't care about you, un. Do you understand?" I nodded, cowering back under my blanket. A few seconds passed and his hands were on my shoulders.

"If you start crying or something, I'll kick your ass, un." I peeked out from under the blanket and he was right there, sitting in front of me on my bed. I wanted to ask why he was acting so moody, but maybe he was just angry because Hidan woke him up and made fun of him.

"Deidara-sempai, are you going back to sleep?" He shook his head.

"No, I can't sleep now. I'm hungry, un." I got up and yawned, stretching my arms and legs.

"Should I make you something?" He let go of me, nodding.

"That'd be nice, yeah." I unlocked the door and straightened my mask back on before I crept out into the hallway. For a moment, I wondered why our rooms were finished and the hallways were just holes in the cave, but Kakuzu wouldn't waste money on anything that he didn't _have_ to buy.

**--**

It felt horrible to be mean to Tobi when he was so nice to me, but I couldn't let him know that I really did care about him. It had taken me so long just to figure it out that I wasn't sure I _deserved _his affection. He started following me around, even before he joined Akatsuki, asking me if I needed anything. I closed the door and began digging through my clothes. Which ones were clean? I knew I should've given the idiot my laundry. He'd do anything I told him to do, but I'd have to remember to tell him to do it. I rolled my eyes with an exasperated sigh. As soon as I found an outfit that appeared to be clean, I got dressed and headed for the kitchen. The smell of pancakes wafted down the entire hallway, drawing Kisame and Itachi out of their room. I ignored them and went into the kitchen, leaning against the counter and watching Tobi flip pancakes.

"Almost done, sempai." He looked over at me for a second, then turned back to the frying pan in front of him.

"Kami, Tobi, those smell delicious. Are you making some for all of us?" Kisame asked, sitting down with Itachi. I avoided looking at the younger Uchiha... stupid genjutsu freak.

"Yes, I'll make some for everyone." I knew Tobi was smiling, even though I couldn't see his face. He was happy as long as he could please everyone else. It made me wonder if he thought it made me happy to hurt him. Zetsu wandered into the kitchen, but wrinkled his nose. Since he was strictly a cannibal, he'd go out and hunt down some rogue ninja for breakfast.

"Leader-sama requires his seat at the table, Itachi." Konan floated into the room and seated herself. I still wasn't used to seeing the woman turn herself into paper, but it was her art and I respected it as such. Itachi got up and sat on the other side of Kisame with his usual irritated expression.

**--**

As much as I tried to finish the pancakes quickly without burning them, Deidara still chided me for taking too long and making him wait. Eventually, everyone was in the kitchen, yelling at me to hurry up.

"Come on, un. We're all hungry." Deidara poked me incessantly after I was forced to surrender the first batch of pancakes to Pein-sama, who threatened the lives of those who dared to reach for his plate.

"I'm going as fast as I can, sempai! Maybe someone should invest in a pancake maker!" He growled at me and I flipped the pancakes so they would brown evenly.

"A pancake maker wouldn't be able to make them like you do." Hidan crossed his arms and leaned against the empty door frame, staring at me. I grunted and flipped the three pancakes onto a plate. Since Deidara was closest, he managed to claim them before anyone else.

"I agree with Hidan. A pancake maker would be a waste of money, even though you can only make a few at a time," Kakuzu groaned. His obsession with money was almost annoying, and I didn't even have to put up with it as much as Hidan did. The two were partnered together due to Hidan's immortality. Apparently, every other partner of Kakuzu's had died.

"I'm going to our room to eat, Tobi." He disappeared from the kitchen and left me to deal with the other ravenous Akatsuki members.

* * *

Please review, it encourages me to write more.


	3. Immortal, Maybe

The M rating comes in near the end of this chapter.

**Warning;** There's a lemon.

I'm very proud, even though I rushed it a little...anyways, enjoy.

**--**

I listened closely to the noise coming from the kitchen for 20 whole minutes and eventually, it died down and became semi-quiet. Suddenly, the door swung open and Tobi burst in, cradling a plate in front of him. He closed the door and locked it. His chest heaved every time he gasped for air. With his back to the wall, he slid down until he was sitting on the floor. He pushed his mask off and shoved a forkful of pancake in his mouth.

"Are you alright, un? You look like they worked you ragged." I bit my tongue - I wasn't supposed to care about him, damn it.

"Sempai... Leader-sama is angry at me... there's no syrup," he gasped, trying to scarf down his pancakes. Did he honestly think they'd break into our room to mug him for his food or something? I thought about it and realized they probably _would_. Kisame was the only one who told Tobi he appreciated his help whenever he did something for him. Even _I _treated him like a dog, making him do things for me all the time without even saying thanks.

"So? Did he take it out on you, un?" He nodded, his cheeks puffed up from chewing his food. "Calm down and don't eat too fast, un. You'll get sick." I got up and grabbed my plate to take it to the kitchen, but Tobi flailed his arms to protest.

"Please," he swallowed, "don't go out there yet." I sighed, heading for the door anyways. His empty plate made me stop, though. How had he eaten three whole pancakes in the short time that he'd been sitting on the floor?

"How did you do that, un?" I raised an eyebrow at him.

"I was hungry. Please wait until my mask is back on before you open the door." I rolled my eyes and waited for him. He pulled his mask on and got up, gesturing for me to go first.

**--**

We went back into the kitchen, trying to avoid speaking with the others who still sat at the table. I took Deidara's dish and rinsed it off for him, then set them in the sink to soak until everyone else was finished. It was my job to do the dishes and clean up after every meal.

"Tobi, they were really good." Kisame got up and handed me his plate with a toothy grin on his face. I nodded and rinsed his plate off, watching the rest of the Akatsuki leave the room. They all left their plates on the table. It bothered me to have to clean up after them, but I was the newest member, so it was my job to do everything that no one else wanted to do. Deidara came back into the kitchen, catching a plate that had slipped off the pile I was carrying.

"I'll help you. You wash and I'll dry, un." I tilted my head to the side slightly. No one had ever offered to help me before, especially not my sempai.

"Why are you helping me?" He shrugged, getting a clean towel out of the drawer by the sink. I began scrubbing the dishes and rinsing them off.

"Because I do. Don't ask stupid questions, un." I sighed and handed him a clean plate.

"I thought you didn't care about me." He gave me an aggravated glance.

"Just shut up and do your job, un." He looked away, blushing. I could tell he cared, ever since he kissed me. But why didn't he want me to know? It's not like I'd get mad at him or run away.

"Why don't you want me to know, sempai?" I gave him the last fork from the bottom of the sink and drained the water out.

"We'll take about this later, Tobi, un." He put the fork in the silverware drawer and left the kitchen.

**--**

How did he know I cared about him? Was I being so obvious that an idiot like him could see right through it? I didn't go back to the bedroom; Tobi would look for me there. Instead, I went outside and jumped up in a tree to be out of sight. I could just tell him how I felt. I'd just have to explain that I didn't want to tell him before because of what happened to Danna. I wouldn't admit to him that I was scared, though. Then he'd think that I needed him. I couldn't. Everyone I've ever needed has died.

"Sempai! Where are you?" I looked through the leaves of the tree, down to where Tobi was. He stood a few feet from the hideout. He couldn't be find me up here, so I leaned back against the trunk of the tree. I closed my eyes to think, but I could feel Tobi's chakra getting closer to me. When I opened my eyes, he was right in front of me. Slightly startled, I almost fell out of the tree, but he caught me.

"How did you find me, un?" He slid his mask to the side, revealing the right side of his face.

"You forget that I was a subordinate of a cannibal. I can find anyone within a 3 kilometer range." That made sense. He probably copied Zetsu-san's hunting techniques.

"Tobi, un. I have something to tell you." He grinned, nodding at me to continue. When I looked closer, I saw his activated Sharingan. I started to feel more relaxed and some of the tension in my body went away. I ruffled his hair and smiled - was he using genjutsu to make me feel better? "I-I lied to you. I really do care about you, I just... didn't want to tell you because I don't want to lose you like Danna, un."

**--**

Didn't want to lose me? Where could I possibly go? I wasn't going to die off as easily as Sasori did, but I guess I understand his reasoning.

"I'm really not going anywhere, I promise." I hoped he wouldn't be mad at me later for using the Sharingan to take some of his stress away. To my surprise, he got up and wrapped his arms around me.

"Thank you, un." He kissed my cheek, making me blush a light pink. No wonder I loved him so damn much.

"I'll do anything for you." He frowned, looking down at the ground.

"Help me get out of the tree?" I smiled and nodded, wrapping one arm around his tiny waist.

"Just hold on." He did as told and I jumped out of the tree, landing softly on the ground. Deidara didn't let go of me. Instead, he jumped on me and kissed me. I fell back onto the ground, him straddling my waist. He started to pull off my mask, but I grabbed his wrist.

"Don't pull it all the way off." He nodded and pulled it down so that the bottom of it covered my nose before reconnecting his lips with mine. His fingers brushed along the nape of my neck, giving me shivers and making me squirm. His grip on me got tighter. Our tongues moved in a sort of rhythmic dance, then his hips started to grind against mine. I started to pull at his shirt, but he broke away, leaving me to gasp for air.

"Did you hear something?" I looked around, having trouble seeing at the angle I was pinned to the ground. I smelled something, though. Was it blood... and fish?

"They're watching us, damn it." Why couldn't they all lay off and go watch Konan in the shower or something?

**--**

I huffed and stood up. I reached for my clay, but then I realized that I didn't have it with me. Tobi, however, was fully dressed and had a few kunai.

"Let's play a game to see who falls first." I looked over at Tobi, who sent three kunai flying in different directions. A small thud was heard and someone fell from a tree not far from us. Their cloak had fallen over them, so I couldn't tell who it was.

"Should I go see who you got?" He shook his head, grabbing another kunai.

"That was Hidan. I saw his hair before his cloak covered him." I clenched my fists and ran at the immortal idiot on the ground. What was his problem, anyway? This was the second time he'd taken an interest in what Tobi and I were doing today. I kicked the lump on the ground and it groaned before getting up.

"Whose kunai is this?" He pulled the small knife from his chest and blood ran out of the wound. It was sort of disgusting how he could bleed all over the place and not even faint.

"Tobi threw it, un." I crossed my arms and he glared at me with an annoyed expression.

"That stupid mother fuck can't even hit a tree! How do you expect me to believe that shit?" I sighed upon hearing Hidan's mouthy response.

"How would you know if he can't hit anything? He's not your partner, you haven't seen him do anything, un." Even though Tobi was never much of a help during missions, he kept me from getting fatal wounds. Hidan grabbed my arm and I jerked away, but he still didn't let go.

"Back off, Hidan. You shouldn't attack someone who doesn't have any weapons." Tobi jumped from the branch above me and landed without a sound. Hidan rolled his eyes and let go of me.

"What the hell is your problem?! You know what happens when someone makes me bleed." Tobi just laughed. Was he insane? Hidan was about to make him a living voodoo doll and he wasn't even afraid.

**--**

"Try to stab me first," I said, staring at the kunai Hidan still held in his hand. Deidara tried to grab my arm, but I just held him back. Hidan thrust the kunai at my chest. I just smirked at him. Thanks to Zetsu-san, I had learned how to let fatal attacks pass right through me.

"What the hell?" Hidan dropped the kunai on the ground.

"You could say I'm a bit immortal, myself. Your stupid sacrificial ritual can't do anything to me." Hidan sneered and I started to grab another kunai, but Deidara tugged on my sleeve.

"Ignore him, let's go inside. They can't bother us if we're in our room, un." I nodded and formed the seal for the teleportation jutsu. Deidara did the same and we both disappeared. When I reappeared on Deidara's bed, I sighed. I always ended up a few feet away from where I'd aimed. I got up just in time for Deidara to reappear in the doorway.

"Why did you want to come in here?" He just smiled and closed the door, locking it behind him. He didn't answer me. "Sempai?" What was he up to? He pulled off his shirt and threw it at me. I caught it before I could realize that he did it to distract me. He grabbed my mask and pulled it off, then dropped it on the floor next to us.

"I have certain needs, Tobi, un. You're the only one who can help me." I raised an eyebrow as he pushed me back onto his bed. I opened my mouth to ask what he needed this time, but he kissed me before I could form the words. "Take your shirt off, un."

"Why do I have to take off my shirt? Are you making me do laundry again?" He shook his head, an evil grin on his face.

"No, un. Just take off your shirt." I sat up and did as I was told, hoping he wasn't going to start hitting me.

**--**

I watched Tobi pull his shirt over his head and sighed. When we were in the woods, he awakened my need for pleasure that no one had fulfilled since the night before Danna died.

"Deidara-sempai, are you okay?" He waved his hand in my face. I just ignored him and pulled the hatai-ate out of my hair, letting it fall gracefully onto my shoulders.

"Now take your pants off, un." His eye grew big.

"Oh... you mean _those_needs, sempai?" He looked nervous and his hands were shaking, but I just nodded.

"Yes, idiot, now hurry up before I make you uke, un." He slipped his pants off and I gasped.

"Kami, Tobi!" I stared at him. How had I not noticed how big he was when we were in the shower? This was going to hurt unless he knew what he was doing, which I seriously doubted. I removed my pants and straddled him. His fingers crept through my hair, pulling my face closer until he was kissing me. He was more aggressive than before and I began to wonder how much experience he had when it came to this. Then he pushed me away and rolled over, trapping me under him. "Tobi, un?" I gasped.

"Shh, just relax." He gently stroked my growing erection, ignoring his own. I stopped trying to pull his hair and laid back.

"Faster," I hissed. He obeyed, his hair falling into his face. His body glistened as he began to sweat. Even though he had scars, his body was beautiful and enticing. I grasped onto my blanket, the sides of the mattress, anything to keep me from screaming. Tobi was good and the look on his unmasked face told me he knew it.  
"Wait," he breathed, just when I was about to spill my seed. He took it in his mouth as my entire body shook. He held my hips down and licked every one of my sensitive spots. He did just about anything to drive me crazy.

**--**

My own throbbing erection was killing me, but I intended to pleasure Deidara as fully as possible before attending to myself.

"Damn... it, un... fuck me." He moaned into his pillow and I smiled. Before he could protest, I flipped him onto his hands and knees. I leaned over him and stuck my fingers in his mouth.

"Suck." His tongue swirled around my fingers and I pulled them away when they were covered in enough saliva. One, two and, after he stopped his whining, three into his entrance. When he finished begging and pleading, I slowly slipped my erection into him. I braced myself, holding onto his shoulders. I was careful at first and gradually increasing how hard I thrusted. I knew I was hitting his sweet spot when his muscles began to spasm every time I pushed in. After a few minutes, I quickened my pace.

"Shit!" He moaned again and his back arched, putting pressure on me. I realized I was about to spill and nearly collapsed on top of Deidara.

"I'm gonna..." I thrusted into him - hard - and let go. It was one of the best things I had ever experienced with another person, and not just sensually. I pulled out and flopped down next to the blonde.

"I'm impressed, un." I smiled as he nuzzled against me. His skin was so warm and, despite his frequent injuries, it was also very soft. Should I tell him I loved him now? He'd most likely slap me and say something like, _"Tch, idiot. You don't understand love."_ However, my lips had a mind of their own.

"I love you." He looked up at me, slightly surprised.

**--**

Did Tobi just say what I think he said? I shook my head, looking down at his chest. Although I enjoyed the wonderful experience Tobi had just given me, I wasn't sure that it constituted love. He had proved that he cared about me every time he pulled me out of the way of an enemy's attack. But love... love made it so much more complicating.

"You're sure about that, un?" He nodded slowly.

"Yes, I'm sure. You mean more to me than any other person ever has." I sighed, realizing that he wasn't the only one who felt this way. I cared about Tobi a lot. So much, in fact, that you could say I love him back.

"Well, Tobi... I think I love you, too, un." He showed me his goofy grin that I couldn't help but smile at. Sometimes I hated the way he was so cute and the way he could almost get whatever he wanted from me without even asking.

"That means a lot to me, Deidara." The way my name just slipped off his tongue in his deeper, more serious voice was appealing, especially when he dropped the "sempai" suffix. Even though it was hot in our room and we both radiated heat, I nestled between his arm and his chest.

"Just go to sleep, un." He raised an eyebrow at me before resting his chin next to my forehead. He was the last thing I saw before I fell asleep and I only hoped he'd be the first thing I saw when I woke up. For the first night as long as I could remember, I had a dream instead of a nightmare.

* * *

-sighs- I love guyxguy stuff, even though I'm a chick... anyways, please review.

Also, I had to post this chapter twice to get it to show up in my story list...why does it do that?


	4. Gender Trouble

Yes, after three and a half years, there really is a new chapter for this story! I feel like I have a lot of explaining to do, so I guess I'll start with the reason why I disappeared for so long.

First off, my home life became very unstable. In March '09, my family ended up moving and two months later, I had to drop out of school and get a job to help out. I was really depressed and just forgot about writing new chapters for my fanfics. A year after I dropped out, I moved to Kansas to live with my dad and (finally!) my luck turned around. I met a guy in August 2010. We got married Friday, May 13 this year. We finally found our own place and now live in Missouri. Now that things are finally settling down, I've found the inspiration to write again.

Another thing I want to address are the supportive reviews I've gotten, even more than two years after I added the third chapter. You have no idea how much your reviews motivated me even more to write another chapter. Thank you so much!

Lastly, you may notice that my writing style has evolved a bit since I wrote the previous three chapters. I'm probably not going to include any more lemons, but there will still be suggestive comments in the story. There will also still be a little coarse language here and there.

**Disclaimer**: I do **not** own Naruto or its characters. They are simply my muse to base my own story off of. Finally... here is the fourth chapter!

* * *

**Deidara**

Six months after the day I admitted out loud that I love Tobi, I woke up to a sharp pain deep in my abdomen. It was unlike any pain I'd ever felt before, not in a way that it was excruciating or anything, but just... odd. Even hours after it had faded away, the memory nagged at me. It was like knowing that I'd forgotten something but not being able to remember what I'd forgotten.

"Dei-chan," Tobi whispered, stirring next to me in our new bed. Although we could still fit on our old beds just fine, he managed to convince Kakuzu that a new, bigger bed would cut down on the squeaking that everyone complained about at night. Kakuzu was, of course, reluctant at first, but when Pein-sama had a rage fit at the dinner table and overturned Hidan into a suggestive position in his lap, he decided that a new bed was not so expensive after all.

"What is it, un? Has your arm fallen asleep under me again?" Tobi merely nodded, his eyes still closed in a dreamy state. I sat up and started to swing my legs over the side of the bed, but the sharp pain that had woken me up over an hour ago returned, this time with vengeance. I nearly folded in half, letting out a cry. Before I knew it, I was in Tobi's arms, concern darkening his normally cheery eye.

"What's wrong, Dei-chan? Are you hurt?"

"No, baka, I'm just shouting 'ouch' because it's fun, yeah." Tobi squinted at me and rubbed my stomach, which dulled the pain a bit... enough for me to stand up on my own, anyway. I prodded at my belly button stupidly.

"Maybe we should have Zetsu-san take a look at you. He won't eat you, I promise."

"Tch. That's really reassuring, Tobi. It's probably nothing. Just a muscle cramp," I surmised. I had eaten a lot for dinner last night, after all...

"Okay, but if it hurts again, at least let me look at it. I'm not as good as Zetsu-san, but I could probably help." I just nodded at him, gathering up clothes and a towel for a shower. Tobi started to follow suit, but I shook my head at him. His smile instantly disappeared, replaced by a rejected pout.

"I'm really hungry, un. Can't you make some breakfast?"

"Sure, sempai, what do you want? You always seem to like my sausage gravy."

"That sounds good. I'll hurry so I don't miss anything." He brushed my bangs away from my eye, I gave him a smooch, then I turned and went in the bathroom, closing the door behind me. It wasn't that I didn't want Tobi to shower with me, I only wanted to avoid some of the things that we usually ended up doing in the shower. Not that I'm getting bored with him – in fact, he seems to improve all the time – I just wasn't in the mood. Hopefully he wouldn't think anything of it. We have a mission today and if he thinks I'm sick or in pain, he'll worry the whole time and jeopardize the mission.

**Tobi**

As I stood hunched over the stove, browning the sausage for the gravy and simultaneously trying to keep everyone's hands out of the food, I couldn't help but mull over the events of the morning. Deidara had felt a pain in his stomach and wouldn't let me take him to Zetsu-san. He shrugged it off like it was nothing; however, the worry in his eyes told me otherwise. It was clearly bothering him, so why wouldn't he let me do something about it? Come to think of it, he _has_ been awfully touchy lately, nearly blowing up the whole bedroom every time I say something or rub his back. Was he angry at me about something or has he been trying to cover up the pain he's dealing with? Maybe I should ask Zetsu-san for advice...

Once the sausage was browned and the gravy was in the making, I shoved some biscuits in the oven and hoped I'd be able to remember to get them out over all the ruckus in the kitchen. For whatever reason, everyone loved my cooking, even though I learned to cook from a cannibal who only eats his food raw and whole. Maybe it was a skill I'd had before my unfortunate accident as a child. I try not to think too much about that part of my life, though. It's still a little weird to believe that I was someone's child and not just a half-deformed person who appeared under a massive boulder one day.

"Tobi, when's the food gonna be ready? I'm fucking starving!" Hidan groaned, clutching his stomach. I didn't even know if he could genuinely be hungry or not.

"It's almost done. It's not like you'll die if you don't eat." A few snickers and giggles emanated from the table, which I wasn't facing so I could avoid looking at anyone... not that they could see my face anyway, but if they could, they'd see a tight-lipped frown.

"You know, since you and that little blonde brat got to be butt buddies, you've been a pretty big asshole," Hidan replied. The laughter died and an uncomfortable silence settled over the kitchen, not that I minded being able to focus on cooking. Regardless, I wasn't about to let that jab at Deidara pass by without repercussion.

"Leave Deidara out of this. You're just mad because you thought he was a cute girl when you first met him." As soon as I said it, I realized I'd just (albeit unintentionally) insulted Deidara and I wouldn't hear the end of it if someone decided to mention it to him during breakfast. Pein-sama growled, slamming his fist on the table when Kisame doubled over laughing. I pulled the perfectly golden biscuits out of the oven and slammed the pan on the counter, startling Konan.

"Hey, shut the fuck up! You're the one who's boning her now!" Fury bubbled up inside me and I turned to face Hidan, who wore his typical arrogant smirk. This was said just in time for Deidara to appear in the doorway and overhear, his hands tangled in his wet hair as he tried to wring the water out. The normally morose Itachi was at attention now, probably wondering who was going to kick who's ass.

"My Deidara is **not** a girl. I know this from experience, so maybe you should stop talking about things you know nothing about," I growled through gritted teeth. No one had noticed Deidara frozen in the doorway yet.

"ENOUGH!" Pein-sama bellowed, raising a fist. "Hidan, get out." Opening his mouth to blurt out another smart ass remark, Kakuzu nudged him and he shut it, quietly getting up from his seat. I watched him closely as he disappeared out into the hallway, cloak swishing behind him. When he passed Deidara without assaulting him, I relaxed and turned my attention back to the gravy just in time to save it from overcooking.

**Deidara**

Not knowing what I had just walked into or why I was being talked about, I settled for simply taking my seat at the table and waiting for Tobi to serve me a plate. It'd probably be better if I didn't mention that Hidan did, in fact, know something about my gender. Reeking of sake and sweat, he had raped me the night I was abducted into Akatsuki. The only person who knew about that particular event was Danna and the secret died with him. Why tell Tobi and cause him more grief when he'd try to get back at Hidan? Hidan's immortal and Tobi literally allows attacks to pass right through him, so it'd be a pointless battle, going on until one of them decided to walk away. That could take weeks, maybe months. All because of an event that can't be changed or made right. Too much trouble, even for me.

The room remained dead silent for the duration of the meal. Konan didn't even talk to Pein-sama, as she often did during meals. Everyone, including me, stared at their plates the entire time, Kisame shoveling his food into his mouth in great globs, and Tobi never sat down at the table. He stood next to the stove, very statuesque. Anyone who didn't know better might've really thought he was a mannequin because of the way he kept completely still. I intentionally took longer than everyone else to finish eating because I wanted to talk to Tobi alone.

"You're upset," I finally said, only after everyone had gone to do their own thing. I winced when it came out as more of an accusation than a prompt to get him to speak. At first, he said nothing, just gathered up all the dishes and carelessly dropped them in the sink. Then, out of nowhere, he grabbed me and pulled me against his chest, his chin resting on the top of my head. He squeezed me tightly, but not enough to hurt. I was surprised at his ability to be gentle despite the fact that he was obviously irritated.

"I love you, Deidara. More than anything. Is that why I want to harm people who say mean things about you?" I wasn't sure how to respond. I knew the answer; I couldn't bring myself to say "yes" and risk him clamming up. I nodded instead.

"I want to protect you. You've had it rough and you've been treated badly by all of them–" His sentence ended abruptly when he took a step back, his hands on my shoulders, his eyes scanning me from head to toe like I'd suddenly turned into a panda before his very eyes. My arms were pinned at my sides.

"There's something... inside you," he whispered, staring at my stomach. I looked down, analyzing my own gut, attempting to be objective about it. Come to think of it, I put on a few pounds in the last two weeks or so. Could I have a tumor? Maybe that's what's been causing the random pains...

"What do you think it is, un? Is it bad?"

"It's... it's chakra, but it's not yours. Barely discernible, but definitely there. Strange." Now he was just being silly. How could I have chakra inside me that wasn't mine? For that to happen, there would have to be a person _inside_ me and I'm certain I'd notice if there was a person in there.

"No, that can't be right. Let's see Zetsu, yeah.

**Tobi**

Time stopped for me. I didn't understand up or down. My eye and my brain weren't communicating with each other. Everything was a blur. The only thoughts going through my mind were Zetsu-san's words, "_anomaly_" and "_impossible_." It couldn't be right, but I knew what I felt when Deidara was pressed against me back in the kitchen and it wasn't my imagination... but how?

"_It contradicts everything I've ever been told, but it's true. There is a fetus growing within Deidara_." A fetus. A **child**, for Kami's sakes. I felt lightheaded. The most confusing aspect of the whole ordeal was Deidara sitting there, calm as a cucumber, not yelling at me or calling me an idiot for doing such a thing to him – to us! How _did_ I do this, anyway?

"Zetsu-san, are you absolutely certain it's a fetus? It's not a growth or a tumor or something?" I asked, desperate for a logical explanation. Zetsu frowned.

"_I'm afraid that's correct. It's a human fetus with chakra characteristics similar to yours and __Deidara's. Compared to the normal gestational period for a woman, this fetus is approximately 14 weeks old. That would put the due date somewhere around, hmm... late August_," Zetsu explained. His bad side proceeded to comment that it would love to eat the fetus for us if we wanted to get rid of it, but I ignored it. If it's March now and the due date is late August, then we only have about five months to figure out how we're even going to have this baby – raising it being a totally different story – when Deidara is obviously male and ill-equipped for a process like childbirth.

"How will we get it out when it's time?" I finally let out the breath I'd been holding in since the moment Zetsu uttered the word "fetus." Deidara asked the question and I was relieved that I didn't have to. Honestly, I knew nothing about babies. How was I going to care for a pregnant Deidara?

"_A procedure commonly used for pregnant women who aren't able to give birth. It's called a Caesarean section. If Tobi will be comfortable controlling the bleeding while I do the surgery, it won't be much of a risk. It'd be more risky to try making him give birth the same way a woman would_." I nodded, willing to do anything to help my poor Dei-chan. He'd have another big scar to complain about, but at least he and our child would be safe and healthy.

"_By the way, if you'd like to know the gender_..."

* * *

Please review! I hope I see more reviews from those of you who reviewed the previous chapters. :)


	5. Natsumi

Sorry about the break between chapters again! I've been so busy trying to take care of everyone. My husband is exhausting enough, but up until recently, my mom and my younger sister were living with us. I'm one of those lucky (erm, cursed) people whose life is never a dull moment.

I'm so grateful for the reviews I've gotten. Thank you!

I have to admit, I'm having trouble keeping the gender of the baby a secret. So... without further ado, I present to you chapter 5!

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

* * *

**Deidara**

Incessant kicking from within my rounded belly rendered a nap impossible, so I sighed, threw off the covers, and slowly got out of bed. I felt like a zeppelin. Despite the fact that I really was legitimately pregnant, no one could resist a fat joke whenever I – well, my belly – entered the room. Not to mention the girl jokes reappeared with a vengeance. Hidan was especially guilty, having engraved "stupid pregnant whore" into the table where I sat. Fortunately, after a dangerously heated argument between Hidan and I minutes before notifying Pein-sama of my status, Tobi yanked him aside and whispered something in his ear. He hasn't come near me since. Months have passed and I still have no idea what Tobi said to him. Another bright side is Tobi seems less like an idiot every day. I don't know if it's our relationship or our baby, but he's maturing. It's kind of cute, watching him grow up.

The crappy part of all this is that Pein-sama barred me from going on any missions. In fact, I'm not allowed to leave the hideout at all, so I can't even use explosions to blow off steam. Tobi, on the other hand, was temporarily placed on recon-only missions with Zetsu and could still leave whenever he desired. Since our baby was due any day now, the times he left were few and far between, and strictly to fetch supplies. I wished he didn't have to leave at all. Hell, I wished I didn't have to be stuck here at all times. Trying to appeal the decision wouldn't do me any good... it was Tobi's idea and Tobi wanted the baby and I to be safe. Frustrated, I reached into the clay bin beside the bed and formed a few spiders, sending them in the general direction of the last person to piss me off: Kisame.

Since I couldn't sleep and couldn't leave, my options were limited to causing mayhem and taking a shower. Well, and talking to Konan, which had become a routine thing since all this started. As a woman, she had a better idea of what was going on inside me than I did, so I frequently asked her advice. We talked about everything from pregnancy to hypothetical situations based on the far-off day when my baby would someday be old enough to choose to be a ninja or not. The sudden urge to talk to Konan right this second overwhelmed me. As I began to waddle towards the door, someone knocked on it – urgently. I opened it to find the very person I wished to speak to.

"Konan, un, is something wrong?" I inquired, glancing at her disheveled hair and rare dark circles under her eyes. It was obvious that this poor woman has probably gotten less sleep than I have... and I'm the one who's eight months pregnant!

"It's finally happened! I just informed Pein, he's absolutely thrilled!" she exclaimed, obviously overjoyed at something. I got one of those weird nagging feelings again, which Konan had previously referred to as "intuition," telling me I knew what all the hubbub was about. This time, I figured it out on my own. I guess this intuition thing was just one of the womanly things I'd have to embrace as a pseudo-mom.

"You're pregnant, yeah?" Konan nodded excitedly, practically bouncing off the walls. I'd never seen her so happy. She started trying to get pregnant about four months ago after asking me if I thought she'd make a good mother... to which I'd said yes, of course. I viewed her as the mother of the whole organization. Everyone could confide in her or get their honest opinions if needed. I told her it would be a shame if she _didn't_ hurry up and have a kid.

"We'll have **two **babies in the hideout now, a real family!" Arms outstretched, she came forward and I hugged her at an odd sideways angle, my belly being in the way too much for a regular hug. Maybe this whole parenting thing wouldn't be so scary, after all?

**Tobi**

When Zetsu and I were summoned back to the hideout in the middle of an important recon mission, I feared the worst. Pein-sama would never interrupt something so pivotal to the organization unless a terrible thing was happening. When Zetsu and I returned seconds later, we walked into what seemed to be normal circumstances. Hidan was standing in the middle of the atrium in front of the tailed beast statue thing, screaming a string of profanity so loudly that it echoed down the hallways and all the way to the bedrooms. Kakuzu and Kisame were at each other's throats about money outside Pein-sama's office. Itachi sat against the wall on the opposite side of the office door, his forehead resting in his hand. He was clearly exasperated. Everything looked like business as usual to me... that is, until we stepped into Pein-sama's office and found him affectionately kissing Konan's cheek. Pein-sama _never _showed affection before.

"Ahem, yes, Zetsu and Tobi. As of today, all operations are postponed indefinitely. It is Pein-sama's wish that we focus on ourselves as a family for a while. Pein-sama and I are having a baby!" Konan explained, quite animatedly.

"Zetsu, I would like you to marry Konan and I at once. Afterwards, we will take a week-long vacation, during which time you and Tobi will keep things in order around here." Zetsu half-bowed to Pein-sama's orders. I remained stunned in the doorway as the three others brushed past me to the atrium, where they would immediately have their small wedding ceremony. Things were changing so much around here. What was going to happen to Akatsuki? My mind raced with questions, worries for the future. If Deidara and I didn't have jobs here anymore, where would we work? How would we support our baby? Soft fingers weaved their way between mine, derailing my train of thought completely. My adorable blonde smiled up at me.

"Deidara," I said softly, leaning down to smooch his forehead. I could see several things in his eyes, but the most prominent was happiness. He rested his head against my chest and I decided not to bother him with my worries. There were only a few short weeks left until we got to meet our baby and stress was the last thing my feisty little Dei-chan needed.

"We'd better get out there, yeah. I promised Konan I'd be her, un... male version of a bridesmaid," Deidara giggled. I allowed him lead me out to the atrium where Pein-sama was already yelling at everyone to sit down and shut up. Deidara seemed awfully eager to participate. The hormones must really be getting to him if he's acting so girly.

Over the next week and a half, Deidara experienced pretty much every emotion imaginable and reacted in a volatile way to anything or anyone near him. Even I, the one who loved and protected him unconditionally, was not immune to his outbursts. I took this as a sign that I should be on my toes, prepared to take him to Zetsu's room for the surgery any moment. Finally, ten days and a bumpy ride later...

**Deidara**

On the third of August, I woke from a nap to those pains again. They were somewhat like the pains I had the day Tobi and I found out we were going to be parents, but a hundred times worse. Within seconds, I couldn't help but scream. It was the most agonizing pain I'd ever felt. I squeezed my eyes shut, clenching my pillow in both fists, gritting my teeth together. When it eventually subsided, I opened my eyes again to find the swirly orange mask of Tobi had materialized over me. He swiftly scooped me up in his arms without a word and carried me out of the room. We were headed in the direction of Kakuzu's surgical room, which he permitted us to borrow on Pein-sama's orders.

"I'm scared, Tobi... what if something goes wrong? What if I die?"

"You will **not **die, Deidara, do you understand me? You will not," Tobi replied firmly, his normally cheery voice underlined with an aggravated growl. We entered Zetsu's room to find that he had prepared for the surgery already. Tobi slowly lowered me onto the table, then sat on the stool next to it and held my hand. His eye was dark – he was worried. I didn't like when he was worried. Someone as carefree as Tobi was only apprehensive when the situation at hand was especially serious.

"I want Konan to be here. I want her to hold the baby while you sew me up, yeah," I whispered, tightening my grip on Tobi's hand. He reached up with his free hand and, to my great surprise, took his mask off. It was comforting to see his face. He smiled, trying his best to be supportive.

"_Konan's not feeling well today_," Zetsu said, retrieving his scalpel from the smaller table against the wall. I frowned, feeling another one of those pains approaching again. "_She'll come if she feels up to it, I'm sure_," he added, probably once he noticed the dissatisfied expression on Tobi's face.**_  
_**

This round of pain was worse than the last. Certainly the most horrible thing I'd ever experienced so far, without a doubt. It was like being ripped in half, but from the inside. I clenched my fists so hard that my fingers cut into my hand-mouths in my palms. "**We could eat him... at least a piece of him**," Zetsu's dark side suggested, earning a murderous glare from Tobi. Zetsu's light side merely scoffed at the proposition.

"_After this one, Tobi. Get ready_." Zetsu was preparing to make the incision while Tobi pulled my shirt up past my belly, leaving me to look like a hot air balloon, half deflated on the table. Tobi then held his hands up over my belly, getting ready to control the flow of blood when Zetsu cut into me. The pain peaked at a solid twelve on a scale of one to ten, then disappeared abruptly.

"Go," I sighed. I couldn't stop myself from inhaling sharply as my abdomen was sliced open. Hands ventured inside me. I tried to stay conscious, tried to wait until I saw my baby, but the lightheaded feeling swallowed me and my vision of the maskless Tobi beginning to panic faded to black.

**Tobi**

When Deidara lost consciousness, I thought we must have messed something up. Surely we must have hit an artery or nicked an organ. After Zetsu closely examined everything, he confirmed that he had accidentally nicked the very bottom tip of Deidara's left lung while making the vertical incision. Without hesitation, I drained the blood from Deidara's lung and cauterized the cut with chakra, simultaneously observing as Zetsu studied the fetus-shaped sac that filled up Deidara's abdomen. Interestingly, it wasn't connected to anything – it was an independent entity within Deidara. Since it had formed specifically for the purpose of our child, it was no longer necessary and useless now, Zetsu slipped his hand underneath it, then lifted it away, leaving our baby safely curled up inside it for now.

At this point, I realized Itachi was standing in the doorway. How long he'd been there, I wasn't sure, considering I was more concerned with the reason why Deidara had fainted. Now I was curious as to why he was even interested. _Crap,_ I thought, _I'm not wearing my mask!_ It was too late to slip it on now. As Zetsu began stitching up, Itachi sauntered into the room, headed for the fetal sac. It lay upon a blanket on the other table, a few other blankets folded and stacked next to it. I watched helplessly as he picked up a scalpel and carefully cut the sac open, revealing tiny hands followed by tiny arms and tiny legs. My heart pounded with fear. Would he hurt the baby? A little relief came when I heard the healthy cries of my newborn child. I considered intercepting the baby from Itachi, but that would mean allowing Deidara to bleed to death. Zetsu was still focused, not the least bit bothered by the Uchiha's presence.

Itachi withdrew the baby from the sac and gently swaddled it in one of the clean blankets, then picked it up in his arms. As he turned around, he seemed to be bobbing up and down, attempting to comfort the squealing, squirming infant. Zetsu finished up the stitches and I let my hands fall to my sides. Itachi didn't seem the least bit hostile. In fact, he appeared friendly for once. I took this opportunity to check Deidara's pulse. It was normal.

"She's cute," he said softly. "Your nose, Deidara's hair and lips... but the Uchiha is obvious." Shit. He knows. There was nothing I could do about it now, so I relaxed and simply nodded in agreement. The tiny baby in the blanket had adorable blonde fuzz on her head and the cutest little pouty pink lips. She seemed to have fallen asleep, thanks to Itachi. I stood, incapable of taking my eyes off her, and Itachi passed her over Deidara to me. Just in time, too, as Dei-chan was starting to stir and would flip the whole hideout upside-down if he caught Itachi holding our daughter.

"How did you get her to sleep?" I wondered aloud. He shrugged nonchalantly as if he hadn't really done anything.

"You know about Sasuke." Right, Sasuke. That kid must be about six years younger than Itachi. Itachi probably took care of him when their parents were busy or something. He inched away from the table toward the doorway, just as aware as I that Deidara would return to consciousness soon. Before he disappeared down the hall, he paused, an uncharacteristic flicker of curiosity in his eyes.

"What's her name?" I knew the answer. The perfect name for my daughter. Deidara would love it, too.

"Natsumi."

* * *

I know there are a few different meanings for the Japanese name "Natsumi," but in this case, I'm referring to the one that means summer beauty.

As always, please review! Reviews make me happy! :)


	6. Itachi's Gift

I started writing again immediately after publishing chapter five a few days ago, so I hope you will forgive me for my unsatisfactory updating habits! Now, I have a few very important things to address:

This chapter is longer than usual and is entirely written in Tobi's point of view. Take notice that there will be character death at the end of the chapter.

As indicated in previous chapters, I'm writing Tobi as if he is Uchiha Obito. Basically, I'm ignoring certain aspects of Naruto as of late because Kishimoto kind of turned things off in a weird direction. No offense to those of you who enjoy the series as it is now, but frankly, I think it could be better.

To **Warmskies**: I haven't thought of how the Mommy/Daddy thing will play out yet. I don't think Deidara would like being called Mommy since he gets really offended when people refer to him as a girl, but hey... he might make an exception for his child. :P

I do not own Naruto or any of its characters.

* * *

Later in the evening, the hysteria in the hideout waned and poor Dei-chan had fallen asleep on the sofa with Natsumi in his arms. Natsumi had also gone to sleep, having eaten to her heart's content and received an ungodly amount of attention on her first day in the world. When I became too drained to linger on the sofa any longer, I figured it was time to retire for the night, but carrying both Deidara and Natsumi posed a problem. I considered Itachi, who was lounging in the armchair across the room and somehow still awake, fixated on the television screen in a boredom-induced stupor. The explosives specialist would remain asleep unless I jostled him too much, so there was little to no risk for Itachi, not that he couldn't handle Deidara's worst, anyway.

"Itachi-san, would you like to bring Natsumi to our room? I have to carry Deidara." Itachi used the remote to power off the television, silently nodding. I handed the sleeping infant to him with great care and scooped up my Dei-chan from the hardly comfortable sofa. It was well-worn when I first joined Akatsuki; now it was pathetic, oozing bits of stuffing from its cushions.

Once in the bedroom, I lowered Deidara into bed carefully, rolling him onto his side. He'd be less likely to rip his stitches that way. I gathered the blankets around him, but left them loose rather than tucking him in, mindful that he would eventually kick them away in his sleep. I turned to see Itachi repeating the infallible swaddle. Once Natsumi was safely bundled in the center of her crib, he turned to leave. In the doorway, however, he paused as he had done earlier today and leaned against the door frame, seemingly deep in thought.

"I know who you used to be," he murmured after a few moments' consideration. This promptly captured my attention. The fleeting idea that he may be toying with me as he customarily did to pretty much everyone around him couldn't stop me from hearing what he had to say.

"I'm listening."

"You were Uchiha Obito. You died during a mission in Iwagakure during the Third Shinobi World War. Your team was... well, severely compromised. You were only Chūnin at the time and you were separated from your sensei. The point is, you saved your teammates' lives." A flicker of a memory sparked in some desolate crevice of my mind. _Kakashi_ was all I could grasp. Then the faded image of a brunette kunoichi flitted through, just long enough for me to identify her as the medic on my team. Finally, the name Obito. That's why it was vaguely familiar... Kami, I really was an idiot. Deidara was right about me. How could I not know my own name?

"Kakashi has my other eye... I gave it to him. I remember now." One corner of Itachi's mouth twitched. Was that a grin threatening to come out?

"That's right. Kakashi was your teammate. As a result of an attack by one of Iwa's ninja, his left eye was damaged. When you were crushed, your last wish was for him to receive your unharmed eye – coincidentally, the left one." _Abandon comrades... worse than scum _came through the veil of amnesia, words spoken in a voice I recognized as my own. I closed my eye and more tidbits of memories emerged. A younger Kakashi losing his left eye to a kunai, him falling when the cave was collapsing... me shoving aside in time to save his life. I opened my eye, avoiding the subsequent memory. I was tired of seeing that one.

"It's coming back to me. The mission, anyway," I sighed, curious as to whether or not I would ever recall anything prior to that fateful day. Would I remember who my parents were? Did I even have parents? I supposed I could've been an orphan. I was so thoroughly dedicated to my teammates that it was plausible. It wasn't uncommon for children to lose their parents during a war, either.

"Great. Now, I don't want this to come as a shock, but I know it will. I'll explain; what you did was honorable. You saved two lives that day and gave your friend the gift of the Sharingan. What I did... it was dishonorable. I murdered the entire clan, and for what? For Sasuke to loathe me? I wanted peace so much that I let Danzō manipulate me. I'm a traitor. Should have died with my parents. I wished I did." Stunned, I sat at the foot of the bed. Itachi had regrets? I had been under the impression all this time that remorse was a foreign concept to him. I had witnessed Itachi kill without so much as a word of respect for his slain adversary. Once the deed was done, he would walk away.

"Wish granted," Itachi added bluntly. "I'm dying. I don't have much time left." This had to be a scheme. A prank. Why would he tell me out of the blue that he was going to die soon? We weren't friends... we weren't partners. Against my instincts, I still felt convinced that he was truthful.

"How much time?" His eyes averted to the floor in front of him and he shook his head.

"Days. I'd like you to have my eyes. Overuse of the Mangekyō Sharingan has taken its toll... I'm nearly blind. Eyes are of no use to me anymore."

"But wouldn't you rather give them to your brother?"

"Sasuke is irresponsible. He would use them up faster than I have. You deserve them."

"I don't know what to say," I admitted. Itachi had said more to me in the last ten minutes than he had in the past year. Besides, my ability to apply logic and reason was seriously diminished due to lack of rest. There was no way I could confidently choose whether or not to accept his uncharacteristically gracious offer. I ought to have a talk with Deidara in the morning, get his opinion on the matter.

"Sleep on it. Discuss it with whomever if necessary, but try not to reveal too much. Kisame doesn't even know about this and we've been partners for years." I agreed to his conditions with a nod, somewhat speechless. He was profoundly perceptive. A puff of smoke signaled his exit, and once it cleared, the door clicked shut and Itachi was gone. Stifling a yawn, I undressed, crawled into bed, and snuggled up with Deidara. His hair smelled so wonderful... it always did. Whether it was his shampoo, his natural scent, or a mixture of the two, I did not know. His beautiful blonde hair smelled like bayberries. I descended unknowingly into deep sleep.

_From third person perspective, I was standing in the center of Konoha's marketplace, speaking with Hatake Kakashi. He was telling me I should have a drink with him sometime and share the story of the past twenty years. I agreed and told him I'd meet him at the bar closest to his place at eight o'clock. The rest was muffled, indistinguishable. There was no gauze where my empty eye socket was. Instead, a perfectly normal eye took its place.  
I rambled down a dusty side street toward a generic-looking house, its sole identifying feature an Uchiha emblem painted on the front door. Hurdling the stairs, I stepped inside, greeted at once by Deidara and a very young blonde girl, three to four years old. Deidara asked if I had a good day while the child, apparently Natsumi, chanted, "Daddy! Daddy!" I kissed Deidara, then knelt to hug my daughter. I asked her if she wanted to practice with shuriken outside after supper and she smiled, bouncing around excitedly. She had my eyes. I got up, holding Natsumi's hand, and led her to the next room – the dining room, where Deidara had already set out dinner for us.  
Next thing I knew, I was showing Natsumi how to throw practice shuriken. They were made of wood and rounded on the edges. For her age, she was doing a great job. Her throws were fast. I was using the Sharingan to keep up with them. I observed proudly as she hit the dummies on point each time, assured that she would make an excellent kunoichi one day. Deidara emerged from the back door just as Natsumi threw the last wooden shuriken. Evidently, it was 7:30 and bath time for Natsumi. I kissed her goodnight and told Deidara I was meeting Kakashi for a __drink. He told me to have fun.  
Time seemed to skip again, for I was at the bar in the blink of an eye. I sat at a table with Kakashi and two others that I did not recognize. The older of the others, a brown-haired man with a high ponytail, was confiding his worries to Kakashi about a few academy students who may not pass, then switching subjects to the upcoming Genin exams. Kakashi explained that he would take on one more team before he retired to a less chaotic position with Konoha's guard. An obnoxious blonde man barreled into the quiet bar and immediately addressed Kakashi, bragging about having been promoted to J__ōnin. He must be Uzumaki Naruto. The other man at the table, who looked very similar to the academy teacher, only younger, told Naruto it was about time he picked up rank.  
Crossing yet another wrinkle in time, I found myself fast asleep in bed, Deidara curled between my arm and my torso – a perfect fit. My conscious mind caught onto my subconscious at this point, realizing that the bed I watched myself sleep in was a figment of my imagination. It all was. The house, the friends, the happiness... all a lie devised by my own brain. Frustrated, I waited patiently for the dream to end, but dream-me suddenly shot up from the bed, obviously alerted to some danger I could not yet perceive. Dream-Deidara was undisturbed by dream-me, soundly snoring. Dream-me crept out of the room and down to the opposite end of the hallway. The door had a crayon drawing of a kunoichi and the letters N-A-T-S-U-M-I spread unevenly across the top of the page. Beyond the door, dream-Natsumi was peacefully sleeping.  
Dream-me turned around, leaped over the banister of the staircase, and landed without a sound on the ground floor below. The front entrance was ajar. Something bad was soon to happen and I didn't want to see it – I willed myself to wake up, escape this bittersweet dream, but to no avail. Still viewing the peaceful scene against my volition, dream-me suddenly disappeared and without warning, I was the one crouched at the bottom of the staircase, scrutinizing the foreboding open door.  
Unwillingly, I sprinted up back upstairs, Sharingan activated. My surroundings were etched in startling detail considering this was a dream. However, I was uninterested. This time with force, I attempted to flee, hoping my sleeping body would roll out of bed and wake up to avoid whatever tragedy would undoubtedly occur next. Pausing at the landing, back tight to the wall, my enhanced vision caught a flash of jet black in the main bedroom were dream-Deidara was asleep. I wished, hoped, and begged for my subconscious to release me from this lucid terror. It didn't matter how much I knew that this place wasn't real: Deidara and Natsumi were real.  
To my extreme displeasure, I advanced toward the bedroom, heart banging against my sternum. I prepared to form seals if needed as I came close enough to see around the door frame into the rest of the room. A pale man with dark hair stood over dream-Deidara with dream-Natsumi under his arm, his hand covering her mouth, muffling her cries. She was afraid, rightly so, as her captor held a kunai to her cheek and a sword over dream-Deidara's chest. I identified him as Uchiha Sasuke. My nocturnal fantasy had been transformed into cataclysmic horror.  
"Those eyes should have been mine... you took what I desired most. It's time I take something from you." When I didn't want to act, my dream-body had acted of its own accord. Now that I longed to protect my family, my dream-body was motionless no matter how much I urged it to do something, anything. I couldn't even close my eyes, scream, and pretend it wasn't happening. Sasuke plunged the sword into dream-Deidara's heart, blood spilling around the blade without a second's delay and seeping through the blankets. Heart hammering in my throat, I felt the icy steel in my chest as if it were me who Sasuke rammed his sword into. I fell to my knees, arms limp at my sides, utterly useless.  
"If only she were older, her eyes could be of use to me. She could live... blind, but alive. Too bad," Sasuke chuckled, a manic flicker in his eyes that could only indicate some form of mental illness. The few seconds that passed between his kunai subtly grazing dream-Natsumi's cheek to slicing into the tender skin on her neck, viscous crimson beading at the mouth of the wound until the blade ventured deeper, severing her trachea. It began to spew across the existing pool on the bed with each heartbeat. She would bleed out in seconds if I didn't help her. Somewhere, someone was screaming. It sounded distant, yet close enough to be inside me. Sasuke laughed hysterically, laughing at dream-Natsumi as she asphyxiated in her own blood. Why couldn't I wake up? I needed to retreat... I always woke up at the worst part of the nightmare. Maybe it __wasn't a lucid dream, maybe it was real and I really was paralyzed on my knees, tachycardia evolving into cardiac arrest. I went limp, slumped on the floor of the bedroom where Deidara was dead, Natsumi was soon to join him, and I was a feckless heap that watched as they were slaughtered.  
The last thing I saw was red._

Three hours later...

I was disappointed when I came to. Waking up was actually the very last on the list of things I wanted to do. Perhaps I had either returned to reality or died and arrived in the afterlife. There was only one way to find out. I tried to open my eyes and realized my vision had changed: I only possessed one eye to open again. Not to mention Zetsu was there, so I couldn't be in the afterlife. The dream hadn't been real, after all.

"_Your heart stopped in your sleep. Deidara said you were tossing and turning. He tried to wake you up, but you started screaming... he called me to help, but when I reached you, you were _dead." Ah, so I _had_died. Dying in my dream had led to actual death. Intriguing.

"How long?" I croaked, my mouth bone dry. I must have been sweating so much in my sleep that I became dehydrated. Zetsu gave me a glass of water, which I swallowed in one gulp. He probably anticipated that I would be thirsty and opted for the small glass. Re-hydrating too quickly could make me sick. My hands trembled, no doubt from shock, but the water helped immensely.

"_Two minutes, roughly. Not enough to cause permanent damage. I expect you'll recover in a day or so_."

"Is Deidara okay? Natsumi? Where are they?"

"_They're both fine. Deidara is distraught, of course, but he'll be much happier once he sees you. Natsumi is with him_." I searched for a clock, but didn't find one. The wristwatch I usually wore had been removed. I was wearing a pair of shorts and nothing else, the overhead light exaggerating the pallor of my skin, the repulsive scars. The price to pay for cheating death.

"What time is it?"

"_Nearly six o'clock. Can you tell me what happened?_" "**Who cares, can't we just eat him already? All the blood transfusions we gave this poor imbecile... we know he's delicious.**" It figured that I couldn't make it through a crisis without having to hear a cannibal talk about how tasty I was. Zetsu's light side scoffed.

"_Give it up already, it's been nearly twenty years. For the thousandth time, he's off-limits!_" his light side hissed. I waited patiently while Zetsu argued with himself, but after a while, my patience wore thin.

"I have to talk to Itachi," I muttered. Paying no attention whatsoever to Zetsu's protests and concise examples of why I shouldn't be up running around after a cardiac episode, I left the room in search of Itachi. Fortunately, he was in the first place I looked: His bedroom. He lay sprawled out on his mattress, gazing up at the ceiling. I tapped on the open door.

"I hear you nearly died again," he said. I shrugged, even though he wasn't looking at me.

"Permission to enter?"

"Granted." I walked in slowly, stopping a few feet from Itachi's bed. I didn't want to invade his personal space. He glanced over, eyebrows arching when he noticed I was only wearing a pair of shorts. His eyes followed the scar down to my stomach before tracking back to my face.

"Don't mind the scars. I need to talk to you about something... you'll need to use a genjutsu." Itachi's eyebrows raised, incapable of masking his incredulity. The man famous across the land for using deception to torture his enemies probably didn't get many show-and-tell invitations.

"Unusual request. You do understand that once I have you, you're trapped in the illusion until I release you?"

"Yeah. I'll risk it." He sighed heavily and stood, gesturing for me to take his place on the bed. I cocked my head to the side, puzzled.

"I take it you want to tell me about what caused your heart to stop. I'm trying to eliminate concussion as one of the potential consequences of this little activity," Itachi clarified. It was a good idea. If I were maimed any further, Deidara would lose his mind. I clambered onto the bed and the genjutsu began.

The illusion was convivial, a far stretch from Itachi's preferences. Instead of some horrifying persecution scene, we were simply alone in a clearing of some nondescript wooded area, sitting cross-legged in the grass and facing one another. Not a living creature to be sensed anywhere, there was certainly no chance our conversation could be the target of eavesdropping here. Calmly, I told him about the pleasant portion of the dream – where I lived in Konoha, practiced shuriken throws with my daughter, and went out for a drink with a friend. Then, illustrated how the dream had coalesced into downright terror, sparing no details of the bloodshed or Sasuke's psychopathic killings to which I was rendered incapable of responding. I didn't forget to include how I desperately tried to dislodge myself from the nightmare. I pointed out how I was so lucid that I felt my heart racing toward a heart attack... the skyrocketing blood pressure, the collapse and blackout at the end of the dream. After some moments' speculation, Itachi spoke.

"I take it your dreams are always so chilling."

"They are," I conceded. No point in lying to a dying man.

"Chilling and childish," Itachi remarked, austere. "Sasuke will never know. He'll forever be on his juvenile quest for revenge." Itachi made a compelling argument against Sasuke, distinctly expressing his disappointment in his brothers's chosen path. I felt sorry for their predicament. Fate dealt them a most unfair hand. The genjutsu was abruptly released, leaving me disoriented. Itachi coughed violently. He struggled to catch his breath. I arose to assist him, but he dismissed me with a flick of his wrist.

"What should I do?"

"I have a genetic disease," he wheezed, settling on the edge of his bed. I stood, brows furrowed as I attempted to recall the condition Zetsu had told me about. A condition more prevalent in the Uchiha clan than any other family on the continent. When I was seventeen, he examined me thinking that the disease could be why I slept so poorly. I didn't have it, evidently. He said it caused lung failure and malnutrition. Advanced medical treatment could help its victims live to see their twenties, but rarely did anyone with the condition live to see thirty.

"You wanna go quickly," I deduced. Itachi didn't respond. He was occupied, coughing up bloody sputum into one hand and clutching his side with the other. The resolution was up to me; end his misery and chance confrontation with his impetuous younger brother someday or stare dumbly as he suffocated in his own respiratory fluids? I peered around the room, seeking anything suitable for an uncomplicated death. Itachi cleared his throat and I whirled around to face him. He held out his hand, palm up, offering a kunai. While it was not the most proper weapon for what needed to be done, it would suffice. I retrieved it gingerly.

"Dreams distort, but they do not lie," Itachi said, composing himself. "Konoha is your true home... your old teammate will not reject you." Extending his left arm, he draped it over my shoulders, tired eyes focusing on my lone eye.

"Thank you." A curt nod was his response, his confirmation that he was ready. With my left hand, I pressed his head to my shoulder, exposing the flesh on the back of his neck. A smooth slice, a flash of scarlet... his ragged breaths ceased. The kunai slipped from my fingers and clattered on the stone floor. It betrayed the peaceful tranquility, my retribution to Itachi for the gift he gave me with his death.

"Thank you," I whispered. A gasp of awe interrupted my intent to carefully lower the body to the bed. Instead, I was caught supporting a dead man in my arms. Past the door stood Hidan, who kept glancing back and forth between dead Itachi and I, his unnerving violet eyes flickering wildly. He never could stop himself from meddling in other people's business.

"Holy shit! Dude, Tobi fuckin' _killed_ Itachi!"

* * *

Reviews appreciated! Let me know what you think of Itachi's "gift" to Tobi! :3

(The disease killing him was Cystic Fibrosis - kudos if you figured it out on your own!)


	7. Revelations

Well, here's another chapter for you lovely folks to enjoy!

This is my last update until September. My husband and I have decided we're tired of the house we're renting, so we're moving to an apartment, hopefully around the end of this month. I'm dreading it... this will be my 27th move and I'm not even 20. D: Anyway, I apologize for the inconvenience.

I do not own Naruto or any of its characters!

* * *

**Deidara**

While Pein-sama and Zetsu were sorting out what happened between Tobi and Itachi, I had to leave. I couldn't bear the commotion... I needed to think, process things. The best way to do that was to concentrate on my art for a bit. Konan agreed to take care of Natsumi until either I or Tobi was able to. I felt guilty for not spending more time with my newborn daughter already, what with her being less than a day old, but according to Konan, it was perfectly normal and necessary for parents to require some time away from their children... particularly infants. Their relentless wailing could be enough to send parents over the edge, even the most seasoned ones. Once I kissed Natsumi goodbye, I collected my clay, eye scope, and cloak from the bedroom.

Our distracted leader had said our official objectives were on hold, but since he never mentioned anything about personal missions, I departed from the Akatsuki lair with a simple goal in mind: Destroy. There sat a village, Ishi no Kuni, located close to the center of Stone Country. It was far enough – exceptionally far, actually – that no one would be able to trace me back to the hideout. Even if some lucky sap did find Akatsuki's hideout, they wouldn't have the slightest idea of where (or how, for that matter) to gain access to the place. That was the great thing about keeping company with a menagerie of S-class criminals. No security loophole was ever left unaddressed.

I was able to fully recall a marvelous image of the locale in my mind, the layout of the small city and the great cliffs to the southeast of it. Since it was customary for me to travel upon one of my avian clay creatures, I had an aerial view of nearly the entire landmass; Fire Country, Wind Country, and especially Earth Country since I hailed from there. I may or may not have been born a citizen of Iwagakure, but it was my home growing up, so I was familiar with it and its surrounding municipalities. Before I was unwillingly recruited into Akatsuki, my independent work as a mercenary required a vast array of specialties, including scouting. With the assistance of my eye scope, no landmark went unseen. Essentially, I could be considered a human map. Tobi certainly expected it of me – the overgrown man-child could barely tell between left and right.

Without noticing I was doing it, I had produced a bird and even begun to ascend atop it once I drifted out of my musings. It made me somewhat nervous to think that I could truly be on autopilot like that. Resolutely training my eyes on the land below, I probably paid more attention than I ever had to the geography of the area in the past seven or eight years. It seemed my personal volition wasn't the only thing that deteriorated when I was forced into the organization. Self-esteem aside, my mind was also dangerously near the point of no return. Resentment for Tobi surfaced as I realized he had stolen my kill. I plotted the death of that weasel for years, training my eye to resist his silly illusions, and in one smooth swipe, Tobi yanked that rug out from under my feet.

_Stop it_, I reprimanded myself, trying not to think of what would happen if I became hateful of the only one I loved. Or was it infatuation? I honestly couldn't tell the difference anymore, not after Danna. It was our hate that drove us together and his arrogance that had torn us apart. His pathetic ego had gotten him killed by his own grandmother and the pink-haired brat from Konoha. On the other hand, Tobi wasn't the least bit arrogant, often much more humble than he should be. He rarely took compliments to heart. He was expressly opposite my late partner. It was true, then, what people would say after reflecting on lost loves. A vicious cycle where an uptight asshole like Danna ruins a naïve lover like me, the heartbroken lover turns cold, and turns their vengeful heart loose on another – a never-ending circle of pain and regret. If I did the same to Tobi, I would only perpetuate such despicable notions. It was hard to imagine branding the worst of enemies that way.

Natsumi factored in, as well. Not only was her conception, for all intents and purposes, impossible – but a sign that wasn't to be overlooked or taken lightly. She was meant to be, which I translated to be a not-so-subtle indication that Tobi and I were destined for each other in some way. Besides... as an orphan, I knew it would be most beneficial for her to be raised by both of us in a loving home rather than bitter weekly exchanges back and forth from separate households. If that in itself wasn't bad enough, the possibility of step-parents might come into play. The idea of Natsumi calling someone else Dad – or Mom, if she decided to refer to me as such – was beyond displeasing. Downright offensive. My mind, of course, concocted a vindictive image of Tobi and a new lover, replacing me in Natsumi's life, stealing time with my child that should be mine. The conceptualization of such blasphemy inspired me to retch... though tempting, I resisted.

Again, I noticed I was not at all focused on my self-appointed task. I was startled to find that I had already skirted around Amegakure and would soon cross the border into Stone Country. Exactly how much time had elapsed while I stared blankly at the horizon, preoccupied with disturbing thoughts of bitter relationships and dysfunctional families?

**Tobi**

While Zetsu and Kakuzu worked together in the adjacent room to examine Itachi's body for bruising or markings that could be attributed to a struggle, Pein-sama interrogated me, demanding answers for what he saw as unnecessary murder. Itachi had been a vital contribution to Akatsuki and it thoroughly outraged our leader that he was dead. Fortunately, he was mindful of my sanity and banished Hidan, ordering him not to step foot within seven meters of the room until we were finished. Despite the Jashinist's immortality, he obeyed, though not without uttering a slew of choice words first. He always had to have the last word. That and humiliation... someone's integrity was almost always on the line where he was involved. No wonder Deidara despised him.

"...you have to say for yourself?" Pein-sama demanded. I shuddered, realizing I hadn't been listening to a word he was saying. Quickly, I decided to pretend I was still fixated on my own opinion, which his lecture had positively no effect on.

"I'm sorry, Leader-sama, I... it was the right thing to do." Less confidence was conveyed through my voice than I had hoped. Why couldn't I just tell him that Itachi was dying; that he wanted to go peacefully? The late Uchiha had not mentioned that I shouldn't say so after his death. Pein-sama's eyebrows furrowed as his cheeks slowly darkened with anger. Instinctively, I shrunk down in my seat, expecting violence to soon commence.

"You are insulting my intelligence, Uchiha."

"It's true," I insisted, forlorn. "I swear it so." I felt out of my element, as I was still wearing only a pair of shorts. I felt... vulnerable. Backed into a corner. Deidara was probably preparing his contrasting statement as we spoke, mustering up all the rage he could just to yell at me about how much of an idiot I was. His chakra would spike as he said it, too, showing me exactly how much he savored the glory that was making fun of Tobi. _I'm in love with a sadist_, I reasoned internally.

"I'm beginning to question your mental stability," Pein-sama sighed, eying me like a revolting substance that one might find on the bottom of their shoe. Comparatively, the crushing weight of the boulder had been more tolerable than this. There was nothing I eschewed more than a spotlight on myself. I should've known this would end badly. Taking off my mask in front of Deidara the first time must have been the catalyst that set this unfortunate series of events in motion. Stupid Tobi, allowing himself to be captivated by a provocative little blonde... I got too comfortable with Deidara and I screwed up. I violated an enormously important rule of being a shinobi: Never get involved with another. It would set you up to fail, whether soon after or decades later. Granted, I have a child now, so obviously I fucked up beyond repair.

_What the hell are you thinking_, my heart cried, unnerving me. Something broke loose inside, snapped apart the same way a fragile twig would in the forest when trampled. Within me, Obito did irrevocably egress, headstrong and eager to fight as ever. The dam of amnesia crumbled, a steady flood of memories rushing back, so many assaulting me at once that I couldn't pick out any single one and study it. One thing, nonetheless, became prominent – a deep-seated principle, urging me to do what was right, pleading for me to remember that Deidara and I were a family now. Some idiotic set of ludicrous guidelines implemented in the days when seppuku was still commonplace could not keep us from what we were meant to be. We had Natsumi, after all – that was no sheer coincidence.

Determinedly meeting Pein-sama's scrutinizing stare with my own, I straightened up, holding tightly onto the strong ethics of the long-lost child issuing forth within my mind. What had been Tobi since that accursed calamity melted away, slinking off to the other side of the veil like the coward it was. In seconds, old Tobi was relegated to the far reaches of my mind. I didn't have the opportunity to tell Pein-sama exactly how wrong he was for once. Kisame burst through the door, undeniably having sprinted here.

"He's telling the truth," Kisame exclaimed. No doubt Hidan briefed him on the situation when he returned from wherever he'd been all night. Couldn't have been a mission since Pein-sama postponed everything, so he had probably been out "feeding" his precious Samehada. Our leader simply sputtered at first, fuming. I pounced on the opening to take my leave. As I slipped past Kisame, I patted him gratefully on the shoulder and hoped I would get the chance to do so properly later. Right now, it was time for me to receive what I had rightfully earned.

**Deidara**

From my stomach emanated a deep growl, a painful wake-up call that I had neglected to eat before I left the hideout. Powering the bird consumed little chakra under normal circumstances, but when mixed with hunger and stress, it could lead to life-threatening chakra depletion quite easily. Directing the bird lower, I scanned the ground for anything resembling a dining establishment or general store. I managed to spot one after a few minutes and swooped down to the shabby path below, shrinking the bird simultaneously. It became too small to hold me and I leaped down, shoving the tiny clay fowl unceremoniously into my pocket. The Ma and Pa diner was largely empty, save for a couple of civilians at the counter, one of whom regarded me with apprehension, the other with disdain. I brushed off the second man's glare and claimed the seat closest to the door.

"What can I get for you, sir?" the only waitress asked, politely ignoring my obvious criminal affiliation.

"Yakitori with a small dish of tenpura," I replied, equally courteous. I was so hungry that I pointed blindly at a random selection on the menu and ordered it. At this point, I'd be happy with rice, which I usually would refuse to touch.

"I'll be back with it shortly." She hurried off to the kitchen, grabbing an apron as she ventured behind the counter. It was difficult to understand the life of a civilian sometimes. Of course, not all were suitable or capable for shinobi life, but as a ninja, money could be made quickly and in larger quantities, which amounted to better living.

It occurred to me that the waitress was not at all bothered by the fact that I was an S-class outlaw. One thing I could appreciate about civilians, like this waitress in particular, was that they were rarely judgmental. They accepted that shinobi saw and did things in the line of duty that they preferred not to think about. I personally never knew my parents, but Ōnoki once told me my father was an unidentified rogue and my mother was a fifteen-year-old civilian girl who had the misfortune of being gang raped. She ran away two days after I was born. Perhaps she fled because I bore some resemblance to one of her rapists. Other than a basic description of blonde hair and hazel eyes, I had no idea what she looked like and her name was never disclosed.

"Your meal, sir." The waitress placed the steaming dishes on the table before me with a set of chopsticks.

"Thank you." She smiled and retreated back to the counter where she checked on the civilian men. In spite of slow business for her restaurant, she appeared content. One might go as far as assuming she was happy. _Maybe she has children_, I thought, my Natsumi coming to mind. A sharp, accusatory voice from within told me I should be with my daughter now, not conspiring against a randomly chosen village all the way out in Stone Country. I needed this, though, for its intense entertainment value. One cannot simply ignore his artistic yearnings.

I started in on the lunch, my lips less than an inch from the bowl in front of me, shoveling great gobs of food in my mouth in quick succession. Only after the main meal and side were annihilated did my stomach stop clenching uncomfortably. The waitress returned with a cool glass of water and the tab, then wished me a good day. I downed the water greedily. Satisfied with my replenished chakra, I departed, but not prior to leaving fifty ryō on the table for the kind waitress. The tab called for no more than six ryō. No one ever said I wasn't generous, whether it be with merciless retribution or otherwise, right?

Opting not to tire myself any more than was unavoidable, I walked the rest of the way to the cliff where I would dole out unwarranted punishment to whoever happened to be in Ishi no Kuni today. Natsumi was the primary theme of my introspection for the rest of the trip. In fourteen to sixteen years, her genetically predetermined appearance would become clear, but I wondered senselessly. Would her hair retain its flaxen hue or eventually darken? There were pros and cons of having hair that men and women alike were so drawn to, though with parents like Tobi and I, she would be able to handle it for sure. A fearsomely beautiful version of Tobi with my golden locks came to mind and I nearly laughed aloud. Subtracting the scars and the goofy grin unique to my partner, the rendition from my imagination was a knockout babe. If I added Jōnin status, she was downright deadly.

Shaking my head, I decided there would be plenty of time to find out what my daughter would look like. Being twenty years old made it unlikely that I would die before then. In fact, I would only be thirty-seven when she would be accepted as an adult by society's standards. The odds were on Tobi's side, as well, and he was ten years my senior. Ironic, how he calls me sempai, seeing as I'm the one who's young enough to be his student.

The path I'd walked from the restaurant slowly faded out of existence, gradually replaced by tufts of scorched grass among small pebbles. Gauging the barely slanted shadows that the occasional tree offered, it was about half an hour after noon. I must be close to Ishi by now. Using my eye scope to see further ahead, I spotted the cliff and headed toward it. My palm mouths poked their tongues out, anxious to oblige my thirst for carnage.

**Tobi**

When I ducked into the room with Zetsu and Kakuzu, the latter frowned, apparently annoyed by my presence. I smiled, pretending not to notice.

"_It appears Itachi had Cystic Fibrosis_," Zetsu declared, setting his surgical tools aside. The body had recently been sealed into an airtight bag and moved from the main table already. Normally, Akatsuki would probably not ensure that the bodies of fallen comrades were returned to their home village, but I intended for him to receive a proper burial as soon as I had ended his misery, even if I had to take him there and pay for it myself. It would be disrespectful to lay him to rest any other way.

"How bad was it?" I inquired.

"His lungs are desiccated. Pancreas in bad shape, too. I would guess he'd have died today, anyway," Kakuzu said brusquely. He, unlike others, did not let his eyes linger on my disfigured body. He'd seen it all, I surmised. He was composed of so many different pieces of other people that one could safely assume none of his current body was part of the original. Palpably bored, he made his brisk exit, the door gliding shut behind him.

"_Best to transplant these eyes right away, Tobi. Get on the table_," Zetsu ordered. I happily obliged, clambering up onto the surgical bench, though not without an epiphany: Zetsu had given me a name so similar to my real one that it could hardly be an accident. Had my master lied to me all these years, misleading me? Steering me away from the truth was a long shot, as nothing else Zetsu ever said was found untrue. Then again, strange people possessed strange motives. A plant-man with multiple personalities was definitely part of the rule in that scenario.

"Zetsu-sensei, why is the name you've given me so much like my true identity?" My teacher coaxed a bitter substance – a sedative/anesthesia combination, most likely – down my throat once I'd finished speaking. Amazingly, it didn't burn on the way down my esophagus. Drowsiness set in relatively fast. _Feels like morphine_, I thought, recalling the time I'd tripped and fallen face-first into a pit. It was only as deep as I was tall now, but the repercussion was an astounding amount of damage, even for a thirteen-year-old. Frailness was surely a common side effect of countless surgeries and blood transfusions.

"_Now is not the time for trivial disputes..._" Past that, I heard nothing more as my eye fluttered shut and breathtakingly psychedelic opiate-induced dreams whisked me away from the world.

**Deidara**

Exhilarating. The barrage of fiery explosions detonating in the village below were just that, I established. Giddy with a refreshing joy that childbearing hadn't permitted me in months, I was truly, almost madly happy. Standing above the small town at the point of the cliff side to Ishi no Kuni, I exhibited artistic talent that the survivors, should anyone be so lucky, would never forget the beautifully timed blasts. What once was a cluster of important-looking buildings was a smoldering black scorch on the stone foundation now. As the uninjured tended their wounded counterparts, I made sure destruction rained down on them, as well. Cries of terror echoed upward, the cacophony mesmerizing, even without the enhancement provided by repeatedly shouting, "Katsu!"

The lame excuses for people running like ants from a magnifying glass lured my thoughts away. Again, I was ensnared in a web of Natsumi, Natsumi, Natsumi. Would her talents take after mine when she grew up would she exclusively inherit her father's – er, Tobi's – unique skill sets? Whatever the case may be, I could see nothing less than an excelling young kunoichi in my mind's eye. My heart sank as I linked the selfish, unsolicited act I was performing to the contradictory ways of compassion and kindness that I would be teaching Natsumi. Horrified, I came to see that Tobi and I were equally unfit to be parents, seeing as we were equally delinquent. I wondered briefly, only for a moment... were all children reared by deception and hypocrisy?

"I won't be like that," I said to myself, currently oblivious to the chaos 64 meters down at the base of the jutting cliff. "I can be better than that."

Something flashed on the lens of my eye scope, attracting my attention once again. An onslaught of shuriken were headed my way, Ishigakure obviously having received backup. I leaped backward to evade them in the nick of time. The fires were settling and I lacked the interest, not to mention the chakra, to continue my impromptu game any further. I hated the fact that my flavor of art had become so lackluster. Fun times were underlined with responsibility and various other adult things. In contrast, all work and no play made Deidara an extremely unhappy boy.

I couldn't afford the energy to teleport and it wasn't the grandeur departure I was looking for, anyway. Sprinting, which would tax my low reserves even more, seemed too close to running away, admitting defeat. That simply would not do. Flying as far as I could go and hoping I at least made it to the country Akatsuki was nestled in seemed hopeful, but it was my only remaining option at this point. Creating my mode of transportation in a hurry, I was reminded how moronic Stone Country's shinobi were. The idea of concealing their chakra for the purpose of stealth was an alien concept to them – I could sense them encroaching, coming up the side of the cliff with haste. By the time the first bunch made it to the top, I was airborne. They stood in my wake, staring dumbly at me, some whose jaws slacked when they realized who I was.

The smug sense of victory hadn't lasted long, as when I glanced down to certify that I looked damn good for someone who had a child yesterday, I found a dark, viscous substance seeping through my cloak. _My stitches_, I recalled scathingly. I had totally forgotten about them. No wonder my chakra was diminishing so quickly.

_Looks like I'm making an emergency stop in Ame_, I thought, uneasy.

**Tobi**

It felt like mere seconds passed between the time I went under and the time Zetsu woke me. He'd said he needed to be sure that the transplant was a success, so I would have to open my eyes and, well... see. See I did, every object lying around the room, and I paid no mind as to how common it was. In my daze, I even reached out to touch Zetsu's venus flytrap things, but his black side slapped my hand away while the white side simply said, "_Don't_."

The visual differences were incomparable. While one eye had given me a rudimentary amount of depth perception that kept me from tripping and falling all over the place, the extensive depth perception offered by two eyes was immeasurably better. Things like this were perfectly supportive of my complaints over the years about the medical field not being troubled enough by the risks of losing an eye to a shinobi. Zetsu had to reiterate to me many times when I was younger that there were certain things I just could not do, regardless of how hard I tried, because I only had one eye. I overcame countless limitations through perseverance, but one thing I could not master was throwing weapons. Shuriken and kunai required a visual capability that I didn't have, sadly.

What I saw in the mirror made the events of the last two days perfectly okay by me. I didn't closely match the crude depiction of a circus freak anymore: Instead, I could be perceived as an honorable shinobi, a man well-worn from years of frequent altercations with powerful enemies. I couldn't stop myself from smirking as I brushed my eyelids with my fingertips, touching tender skin rather than thick gauze. In that moment, I knew I could dauntlessly reestablish communication with Kakashi. Self-consciousness was what formerly held me back, made me too nervous to do so, but there were no excuses, no clever envisage of outright rejection. I could only anticipate a surprised, yet sentimental greeting from my old ally. How Itachi could know that, I didn't care to mull over. Dead men were notoriously ineffective at answering questions.

Overjoyed, I got dressed in everything but my mask. Its service of face-obscuring was obsolete – I was a new man. Teleporting to Pein-sama's office, I found the door wide open and Konan seated inside, a gurgling, noisy Natsumi in her arms.

"Where's Dei-chan?" I asked, glancing around as I slowly entered the office. There was no hint of Deidara anywhere. Not even a trace of his chakra signature. I expanded my search to the whole hideout, but still didn't sense him. Expanding even further, I concluded that he was nowhere within several kilometers of here.

"He went out," Konan replied, standing. She strode around the desk, holding Natsumi out for me to claim, which I did gladly. She waved her tiny fists around, her movements erratic. As a baby, she likely had very little control of her own actions. I kissed her forehead and pressed her gently to my chest, rubbing her back in tiny circles. It felt startlingly good just to know she existed. For her to trust me, to not scream and cry when I held her... that felt even better. _So this is what true happiness is like_.

"Did he say where he was off to?" Konan returned to the large, plush oak chair behind the desk, her hands folded in her lap. She appeared to be trying very hard to take control of herself. Nausea was probably wreaking havoc on her at this time in her pregnancy.

"No. He was upset." An emotionally unstable Deidara running rampant on his own was frightening to consider. If he wasn't careful, he would rip his stitches and no one would be there to support him. Judging by Natsumi's heavy breaths, she was asleep now. I could probably leave her safely in her crib for two or three hours while I scoured the land for Deidara.

"Thanks for watching her," I said, gesturing at the sleeping infant in my arms. Konan waved dismissively, as if to say it wasn't a problem, then slapped her hand over her mouth and ran toward the bathroom. I turned to take Natsumi to the bedroom and was intercepted by Deidara – no, a shadow clone belonging to Deidara.

"I'm in Ame, un... bleeding out," the clone whined. _Shit._

"Idiot. I'll come after you." The clone dispelled immediately. Had I just called Deidara an idiot? Great, now he would be irritated before I even arrived. What would he say once he saw my eyes?

Creating my own shadow clone, I handed Natsumi off to it and informed it to watch over her until I returned. Leaving her alone would be a bad idea with people like Hidan around.

"I'll protect her as you would," my clone said. Satisfied that my daughter was in good hands, I teleported to the tallest tower in Ame – the place where Deidara was sure to have holed up until someone could retrieve him.

**Deidara**

Since Ame was under rule of Akatsuki's leader, a member of the organization could safely enter the village without being pursued and eliminated by one of Pein-sama's clones. Still, I camouflaged my chakra when I landed atop the tower where we occasionally met as a group. As I settled into a niche in the dark, a place where the rain couldn't soak me, I sensed my clone had done its duty – and Tobi would look different when he popped in soon. It didn't mater right now, I decided. I was aching deep into my core, the pangs of chakra depletion becoming unbearable. All I wanted now was Tobi's warmth, his loving embrace.

The unmistakable ripping of the space-time continuum signaled his entrance.

"Deidara," he sighed, relieved as he peeked around the corner. He was without the asinine orange mask, to my intense delight. However, where there was usually a thick chunk of gauze protecting and obscuring his once empty eye socket, an eye filled the void. So Tobi had told the truth. Itachi's death was a mercy killing, not a murder, and as part of the deal, Tobi obtained a present. How cute.

"You got his eyes," I said, my voice unusually gruff. I was dehydrated, I realized. Bleeding to death was taxing work.

"That doesn't matter now. How long have you been bleeding?"

"A couple hours or so, yeah." He tore open my cloak and peeled it away from my abdomen carefully. Some of it was coagulated, but because the cut was too deep to heal on its own, new blood oozed over it. Based on Tobi's facial expression, I could tell it was horrible without looking directly at it.

"Your chakra is low and you've lost pints, if not liters of blood... I'll have to work on it here." He removed his gloves, stuffed them into his pockets, and began repairing my wound while synchronously sending waves of his own chakra into me. Both of those skills were medical ninjutsu, skills that I wasn't aware he possessed.

"You're a medic? Tobi, un?"

"It was Zetsu's doing. First thing I learned, actually. He underestimated me... thought I wasn't capable of anything else." Tobi shrugged, seemingly at ease. If Zetsu doubted him so much, why would he start him out practicing a trade that required such precise chakra control? Unless it was a ploy to teach him control he didn't have...

"Why the hell didn't you reattach my arm when that damn kid ripped it off?"

"Settle down, I've almost got the bleeding staunched."

"You're an asshole," I huffed, crossing my arms. On the surface, I sulked; on the inside, I was secretly thrilled to see him so nonchalant, so... grown up. He didn't talk like a prepubescent boy anymore, and since he was rid of that awful mask, I could regard him with the respect that I would normally give to my seniors and those superior to me. Perhaps I would call him Danna; unhinge him a bit.

"You're an ungrateful brat," he replied. In the dim light of Ame's constant downpour, he wore a playful half-smirk. Throttling him was tempting, although my languidly replenishing chakra was insufficient for producing explosives and the deep cut in my stomach was not yet repaired. There would be a more appropriate time for us to quarrel with each other later.

Sasori's redundant manifesto came to mind. "_Art is eternal_," he'd regularly snapped at me. What if he was right? What if true love, a form of art, was eternal? Love that was fleeting was rarely, if ever placating. Everlasting love was a rarity, but when found, was often the key to happiness among average people. The same could be true for Tobi and I.

So the late puppet master had gotten something right, after all. In death, he made it possible – indirectly and unintentionally – for Tobi and I to find each other. Interesting, the way love surprises you sometimes. In this case, a new flame rose from the ashes of an extinguished fire.

Touché, universe. Touché.

* * *

**Note**: The next chapter (which I hope to publish mid-September) will take place after a time skip. Sorry, but there's just not much interesting stuff to write around a newborn.

However, the amount of time skipped is up to you, the reviewer! You may choose between 4.5 years or 6 years. I'm leaning toward 6 years, honestly. Natsumi would be 5 years old, so she could be in the early stages of learning taijutsu.

I'll honor the popular vote either way. Nothing like an incentive to review, right? :P


	8. Six Years Later

I'm so sorry (again) for the long delay between chapters. I had originally planned to post mid-September, but while I was backing up the contents of my computer and reformatting my hard drive, the external drive I was using failed. Well, more like Windows failed. I recovered most of it, but unfortunately, the rough draft for chapter 8 was lost.

On that note, I'm also sorry for this chapter. I lost track of where I wanted to go with things and I'm grasping at straws now. Honestly, I'm planning to end this story soon and start a new one that focuses on an older (possibly adult) Natsumi, but I really think you guys would hate me for the way I want to end it. :/

I love how I felt I needed to mention that I was writing as if Tobi was Obito, NOT Madara, and then bam! Tobi IS Obito! That was a big ego boost. xD

tiger2213: Thank you, it feels really good to know I've been able to make someone laugh with my imaginary Akatsuki antics. :3 (btw, the answer to your question is in this chapter!)

I do not own Naruto or any of its characters!

* * *

**Tobi**

In Amegakure, Pein-sama dismissed the village's customary heavy downpour, allowing the clouds to go their separate ways and the sun to emerge. Although the majority of the inhabitants were taking full advantage of a clear day's recreational possibilities and basking in the unusually warm weather, I was unable to follow suit. I disguised my anxious pacing as interest in the murky water beneath the dock. Perhaps onlookers would mistake me for a fisherman simply trying to decide if the spot is worth the effort of casting a line out.

The scheduled meeting set to occur here was six years in the making; naturally, I was growing impatient each time I picked up on a new chakra signature, only to realize it was the erratic, uncontrolled chakra of a civilian. I noticed that I was staring blankly out over the ocean several times. _So much for vigilance_, I thought, admonishing myself. What kind of shinobi couldn't even stay on task long enough to watch his own back?

I found myself thrusting my hands into my pockets, wondering what Deidara and Natsumi were up to right now. If I had to guess, I would say Deidara was probably still trying to devise some method for our daughter to infuse chakra into clay without hand-mouths. Once we discovered Natsumi's affinity for earth, he'd started complaining to me about how easy it would have been for him to teach her if she _did_ have such appendages, as if it were my fault. I was fairly certain Deidara wasn't born with his hand-mouths and therefore couldn't pass them on genetically, but decided not to bring it up lest I get banished to sleep on the couch for a week again.

"Obito?"

My eyes locked onto a familiar-looking man – perhaps the most familiar person I'd seen in a very long time. Even with the mask that had always obscured most of his face, there was a subtle difference in his appearance that I couldn't quite put my finger on. _It must be age_, I decided... not that he looked as old as I probably did, but when more than two decades pass without seeing someone, advanced age is to be expected.

"Kakashi... No one has called me that in such a long time."

"I suppose I should call you Tobi," he mused, giving me a look-over. I wasn't wearing my cloak – only standard ninja garb consisting of a flak jacket, long-sleeved navy blue shirt underneath, and pants of the same color. Had I worn a forehead protector, I would look nearly identical to Kakashi among a crowd. I preferred to be nondescript when so many civilians were about.

"Please, use my real name. It's nice to hear it."

"How can I be sure you're not an impostor?"

"I told you the eye was a late present for your promotion to Jōnin."

"Touché. No other living person could possibly know that."

In synchrony, we seated ourselves upon two nearby crates facing each other. I wanted to comment on his uncanny resemblance to his late father, whom I faintly recall idolizing as a child, then thought better of it. We'd just barely bypassed the subject of Rin and it probably wouldn't be a good idea to bring up any other major losses in his life. He sighed and scratched the back of his head, the wrinkles around the corner of his right eye the only indicator that he was smiling.

"I'll be honest, Obito... I'm here on official Konoha business. The Hokage knows the situation and declared you a prisoner of war. The ANBU have been informed, as well as a select few Jōnin, but that's about it."

"I take it your task is to free me from the oppressive clutches of the evil organization known as Akatsuki?"

"You don't sound oppressed."

"Believe it or not, there is camaraderie. We don't have tea and discuss the weather, but most of us are friendly to the rest, show at least _some_ respect, and look out for each other."

Kakashi's visible brow furrowed. I could definitely understand how someone might be perplexed by the inner workings of Akatsuki. Even I realized how preposterous the idea was. Dangerous criminals acting like regular human beings when not terrorizing nations and murdering half the people we came in contact with? How daft! I lived it every day, so it felt normal to me. On that note, there was one more thing I'd neglected to share with Kakashi.

"That's not what's keeping me from returning, though. _This_ is." The copy ninja observed with keen interest as I withdrew a slightly wrinkled photo from my pocket. It was taken on Natsumi's recent birthday, showing the two of us side by side, my arm wrapped around her shoulders. Her excitement to see the border of Sunagakure in the distance from atop Deidara's clay bird was clearly etched upon her face. After smoothing the dog-eared edges of the photo, I offered it to my former comrade, who discreetly lifted his hitae-ate to study it with his Sharingan eye.

"Your daughter," he presumed, almost instantaneously. It wasn't difficult for anyone to draw that conclusion, given that the majority of Natsumi's physical characteristics were inherited from me. The only real indicators of Deidara were her long, blonde hair and natural tendency to tan.

"Yes. She was born the day prior to Itachi's death."

"She must be an aspiring kunoichi."

"She is. She's talented, too. I'm not just saying that because she's my kid, either. We'll be in trouble when she awakens her Sharingan," I joked, silently wishing that instance wasn't under the same dire circumstances as mine had been. Kakashi chuckled softly.

"Konoha would be a great place for her to grow up."

"I know. It's not her I'm worried about. It's her... mother."

"We're getting pretty lax on our policies. We allowed Sasuke's return with minimal punishment, although the Hokage's soft spot for Sasuke's old teammates was a factor."

"From my understanding, he never directly attacked Konoha if he could avoid it."

"That's true," Kakashi remarked, raising an eyebrow. There was a specific topic I was avoiding and he was certainly picking up on my evasiveness, although he was probably also considering it a potential threat. The fact that I was in a relationship with a man was not the issue; my sexual orientation was hardly relevant. What I was hesitant to explain was my daughter's existence. There were many theories, most of which Zetsu had contributed on his own, yet nothing factual. Then again, there was no mistaking Natsumi's parentage.

"There is something I haven't said. It's complicated. Frankly, it's so absurd that you'd be less likely to believe me if I _did_ speak of it."

"The fact that you're alive is absurd, to be truthful, yet you're undeniably sitting here before me. I think I can handle anything at this point."

"Well, if you say so. It's... it's Deidara."

His half-moon eyes widened with incredulity. I merely glanced toward the ocean, allowing him the time he required to process this. The sun had inched closer to the horizon since we sat down – close enough for it to be approximately five o'clock already. What were Deidara and Natsumi doing right now? I despised leaving them alone for extended periods of time, but this rendezvous with Kakashi was more than necessary. A better life could be waiting for our little girl in Konoha.

**Deidara**

"Mommy! When is Daddy coming back?"

"I don't know, un. Sometime tonight."

"But I want him to come home _now_," Natsumi whined, tugging at my sleeve. She was either bored of playing with the other children or had something on her mind if she was bothering me this much. We were lucky enough to have a child who could, for the most part, entertain herself. I reluctantly diverted my attention from the pile of dirty laundry at the foot of the bed and hoisted the six-year-old up to my hip, squeezing her gently until she giggled.

"I can't just summon him home, Natsumi. I'd like him to be here right this instant, too, but Daddy is busy in Ame."

"How come he goes with Susumu's dad to Ame all the time? It's always rainy there."

"Well, because Susumu's dad is the leader there. The village needs its leader every once in a while."

My answer seemed to satisfy the inquisitive child, at least temporarily, because she sighed and laid her head against my shoulder. She must have worn herself out practicing with the other kids earlier. The two mothers and I supervised while the trio tested their budding taijutsu skills against each other. The age gaps between them would be insignificant as adults, but they were nearly crippling now, although Natsumi tended to be victorious in their training exercises. While her advantage over Konan's five-year-old son was to be expected, I was secretly very proud of her ability to overpower Hana's eight-year-old.

As parents, we eventually came to the conclusion that it was better for them to gain the valuable combat experience than to refrain from sparring over something as trivial as age. None of them were strong enough yet to cause serious injury, at least where taijutsu was concerned. Besides, we never let them fight unattended, so there was always an adult to intervene.

"Mommy, why do people die?"

Damn it... the death questions always come up at the most random times. I often wished that children were born with a natural acceptance that death is a routine part of life. Trying to explain it was difficult, to say the least, and often useless. She'd been asking ever since we told her about Itachi.

"It just happens. Some people die of old age, some die of illness, and some are killed."

"Will Daddy die?"

"Everyone will at some point, yeah."

"Will I die, too?"

"You better not. At least not until I'm long gone," I quipped, hoping the humor would distract her. The joke was lost on Natsumi, however. She scowled at me as if I had made an outrageously inappropriate statement.

"Sweetie, it's almost eight o'clock – are you ready for bed?"

"Not without Daddy," she stubbornly replied, sparking the memory of a conversation Tobi and I had not too long ago. We discussed where our daughter inherited her tenacity and he firmly believed it must have come from me, considering his cool, go-with-the-flow nature. He was rarely so adamant about something that he could not be compromised with. When he was, he admittedly had good motive to do so.

"Fine, un. Go play with Momo."

Natsumi wriggled out of my grasp and literally hit the ground running. Sighing heavily, I realized how exhausted I was. Tobi had been gone since sunrise, so I was on Mom duty all day without a single break. Sometimes I wondered what life would be like now if I had never kissed Tobi on the way back from Otogakure. Would fate have brought us together and produced our daughter anyway? Or would we have gone on as mere partners in Akatsuki, never aware of what could have existed between us?

In an attempt to get that depressing scenario out of my mind, I returned my focus to the laundry on the floor. The pile of smelly clothes had probably been fermenting there for at least a week now, if not longer.

"I hate being a housewife," I muttered under my breath, glaring at Tobi's wrinkled shirt. I longed to be permitted to leave the hideout again. Missions meant time when Tobi and I could talk like we used to without having to worry if anyone, child or otherwise, was eavesdropping on us. We haven't been assigned a mission as partners in over four years. It felt very biased, considering Leader still allowed Konan to go to Ame – they even took Susumu with them occasionally, depending on the condition of the village.

As much as I disliked being confined, I figured it was probably Tobi's influence on Pein-sama that kept me from receiving more orders. He could be extremely over-protective, especially where Natsumi and I were concerned. He'd once told me that he was given missions on a regular basis because, as the father, he was the dispensable parent. I was regarded as her mother since I was the one that carried her inside me.

"Deidara-san?"

In the open doorway, Hana stood with her hands folded in front of her waist, her eyes flicking back and forth between me and the direction of the kitchen down the hallway. I paused in the middle of shoving clothes into a basket to be washed.

"Is something wrong?"

"Erm... yes, Deidara-san. I'm worried about Momo."

"Why? Has Natsumi done something to her? Here, sit down if you'd like," I offered, clearing the only chair in the room of Natsumi's doll collection. Hana's wringing of her hands and disheveled violet hair indicated to me that she was nervous about something. She appeared apprehensive about joining me, but did so anyway, making a point to close the door. When seated herself, I sat across from her on the edge of the bed. For about a minute or so, she didn't speak. I was somewhat startled when she finally did respond.

"To answer your question, Natsumi has not done anything. She's a joy, as always. It's just that... Momo's been asking about her father. She sees that Susumu and Natsumi have fathers and she wants to know where hers is."

"You don't know where he is?"

Hana made a disgusted expression, vigorously shaking her head. I noticed that she was gripping the arms of the chair so tightly that they began to crack under the pressure. Momoko's father must have really pissed her off.

"No. I don't know _who_he is, for that matter. I only wish I knew what to tell Momo."

**Tobi**

Upon our return to the hideout, Pein-sama and I went our separate ways for the evening – he to his private quarters and I toward mine. I was downright itching to share the details of my with Deidara before he became too tired to stay awake any longer. Oddly enough, when I reached the doorway, I found him lying spread-eagle on the bed, gazing up toward the ceiling. It occurred to me when I wasn't detected right away that he must be lost in thought. There was a curious way his eyes would glaze over when he reminisced. Those vividly cerulean eyes... oh, how they transformed me to putty in the palms of his hands. I'd heard somewhere, some immeasurable amount of time ago, that those with pale eyes had shallow souls. Obviously, whoever said _that_ never met Deidara.

Even though beautiful was not a very manly word and Deidara would surely take offense to it, that's precisely how I would describe him. He was beautiful and so much more to me. So many facets of his heart and his mind riveted my own soul that I couldn't curb the idea that our souls may be interconnected somehow. Perhaps it was the very first kiss we shared, or maybe it didn't occur until Natsumi's mystifying conception. Whatever the case, I felt that my world would cease to be coherent if I ever lost Deidara. Our spectacular little girl would be the only hope for my sanity in the event that he left me – or worse, perished in battle like many shinobi.

"Tobi? What's gotten into you, un?"

I blinked, suddenly conscious of the fact that I'd been staring blankly at my blonde partner this whole time. My return to reality was a tad bumpy and I found myself leaning against the door frame. Deidara's overt lack of enthusiasm to see me for the first time since early this morning was unnerving, as well. Had something happened while I was in Ame?

"Sorry, my love – I was only admiring you."

"That's nice. You should admire all the laundry I washed today."

I should have known he would be irritated by the time I returned. At my insistence, Pein-sama generally withheld or reassigned missions that were more suited for Deidara and I, entirely because I was terrified of the possibility that Natsumi might lose both of us and grow up an orphan. Deidara resented me for it, as I could plainly see. The ire in his eyes was unmistakeable. I decided I should get on with the details of my visit with Kakashi and entered the room, closing the door for the miniscule amount of privacy it offered.

"I learned that there may be a place for us in Konoha, after all," I said, attempting to circumvent an argument with my most cheery voice as I claimed the empty space next to him. I slid my arm under his neck and pulled him close to me. The fragrance of his hair unnerved me and comforted me simultaneously.

"Really, yeah?"

"The Hokage declared me a prisoner of war. They're pretty serious about bringing me back."

"Do they know about us?"

"They do now," I answered. Deidara seemed to consider this silently for a moment, then frowned, evidently dissatisfied with what I'd done.

"I guess you told him about Natsumi, un. What do you think'll happen?"

"Kakashi is one of the most influential figures in the village. I'm sure he'll be able to do something."

"I think we'd be better off moving to a small village where no one's ever heard of us, un."

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it, Deidara."

My heart sank as Deidara's frown evolved into a grimace and he didn't reply right away. I guessed he was wary of the situation, seeing as he had one of the highest bounties in Konoha's bingo book, which was unlikely to be overlooked. Kakashi advised me to hope that those responsible for the ultimate decision were mindful of our daughter. I told him quite bluntly that I would cease communication permanently if they pursued us with intent to capture my partner.

"Why do you want to go back there so bad, anyway?" Deidara demanded derisively. I sighed and snuggled closer to him, pressing him tightly against me. Perhaps he could feel my heart as I felt his.

"Because... truthfully, I miss it. I think Natsumi would be happy there. I think _we_ would be happy there."

"You really aren't Tobi anymore, are you?"

_You really aren't Tobi anymore_. It was so... accusatory, as if I had done something wrong by remembering who I really was. Had I changed so much that Deidara didn't know me anymore? Did _I_know myself? I must have lost the part of myself that caused him to fall in love with me in the first place. Maybe I could deduce what that was and get it back somehow. For now, one thing was clear – I needed to give Deidara his freedom again or I wouldn't be the only one to suffer his disdain.

**Deidara**

The following morning, I awoke to the usual sounds of chaos emitting from the kitchen. Based on the smell, Tobi was cooking something delicious, so I willingly rolled out of bed and wandered toward the enticing scent of breakfast. Sometimes I wondered if he was under the impression he could get on my good side with food... and damn it, it worked. If nothing else, he was an excellent cook; no one ever had anything negative to say when he spent half an hour or longer in front of the stove.

"You're up early," I grunted, peeking over his shoulder. There was a myriad of bacon, eggs, and what appeared to be french toast on the skillet. My mouth watered, prompting me to reach between his arm and his torso to sample a small strip of bacon. The glare I received in response was intimidating enough to make me recoil.

"I have a surprise for you after breakfast," he announced, the glare replaced by a cheerful grin in the blink of an eye.

"Hn?"

"After breakfast," he repeated brusquely, grabbing a second spatula to keep up with the large amount of food on the skillet.

Since surprises were few and far between, I chose not press the matter further. I took a seat at the table next to Kisame. Fortunately, Kakuzu and Hidan hadn't been around for quite some time now, so meal times were peaceful and those of us with children needn't worry about them potentially being sacrificed by the Jashinist. I believed Leader-sama was purposely keeping them busy for that very reason. Another plus was that Hana and Momoko could join us at the table since the "zombie combo," as Kisame had affectionately coined them, were not present.

I instinctively said thanks when Tobi placed a plate in front of me, and for once, I waited until he sat down in the chair next to me with his own plate. I was genuinely surprised when I looked up from the appetizing bacon to see that everyone else – even Leader – was showing our cook the same courtesy. Things sure had changed in the past six years.

However, once he picked up his fork, we all began our eating ritual, which essentially consisted of shoving food unceremoniously into our faces as rapidly as humanly possible. There was little to no conversation during this process. Not for the first half of everyone's plate, anyway.

"Where's Natsumi?" Susumu inquired between forkfuls of scrambled eggs.

"Yeah, where's Natsumi?" Momoko echoed, her eyes darting back and forth between Tobi and I. In seconds, everyone was staring expectantly at us. It dawned on me that I hadn't seen our daughter in her bed when I woke up.

"Zetsu-san is doing some tests with her. I made sure she had breakfast beforehand."

_Great. My daughter is alone with a cannibal._ My appetite mysteriously vanished.

"Is she sick?"

"No, Momo-chan. She's okay. It's just some routine tests," Tobi replied nonchalantly. Everyone immediately lost interest and turned their attention back to their food.

I devoured the remainder of my bacon in a hurry, hoping my retreat to our room would prompt Tobi to follow me so I could inquire about the aforementioned tests privately. I deserved to know if there was something important happening to our daughter, after all. When I put my plate in the sink and excused myself, Tobi did the same, as it was now Hana's duty as the newest member to wash the dishes after meals. The door barely latched shut before I started in on him.

"Would you like to tell me what's going on?"

"We have an assignment."

"Cut the shit, Tobi."

"Natsumi is fine. Zetsu's still obsessing over her... and we really _do_ have a mission today."

"Tell me about this mission, then, yeah," I sighed, choosing to disregard Zetsu's pursuance of what was unquestionably a pointless endeavor. Our child was physically and emotionally normal for her age. The plant-man would have a better chance of finding the explanation to her existence in Tobi and I, although I was reluctant to voice that opinion aloud. I was afraid he might take it seriously.

"We're supposed to eliminate a hostile faction outside Ame. Leader estimates fifty or so of them advancing on the village... of course, if you're not up to it, I can handle it solo."

"Let's get dressed, un," I suggested, choosing to disregard his comment about "handling it solo." There would be plenty of time to handle _him_before and after we decimated the enemies, preferably with ample explosions.

* * *

I wish I could say for sure when I'll have the next chapter for you guys, but I can't seem to make any promises about that without something going wrong. So, I'm just gonna say it'll be here when it gets here and hopefully there won't be too much of a delay. xD

If you're interested in my current plans for the end of the story, feel free to PM me and we can discuss it privately. I'm genuinely interested in satisfying my readers and I don't want to do something stupid.

Please review so I know if this chapter was as shit as I feel like it is or not.


End file.
